DMK retains much of its vote bank despite going it alone, reinforces position as the principal rival of TVK

The outcome of the byelection to the Madurantakam and Dharapuram Reserved Assembly constituencies has reinforced the DMK’s position as the principal alternative to the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK).

The DMK’s second-place finish in both constituencies suggests it has retained much of its vote base. This is significant given that the party contested without most of its erstwhile allies, suggesting that an united alliance could improve its electoral prospects. The Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), which joined the DMK-led alliance ahead of the Assembly election in June, was an exception.

In Dharapuram, the DMK’s vote count fell to 57,370 from 64,373 in the Assembly election but one needs to account for the declined voter turnout in the constituency as well compared to April 2026. Besides, the decline could be attributed to the absence of its former allies, including the Congress, the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), the Communist parties, and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML).

However, the TVK failed to match the vote count secured by the AIADMK in the general election, despite the defection of the former AIADMK legislator and the shift of the DMK’s erstwhile allies to the ruling party. P. Sathyabama, who won the seat as an AIADMK candidate in the Assembly election, securing 81,100 votes. Contesting on the TVK ticket in the byelection, she polled 66,841 votes, suggesting that she was unable to retain the entire AIADMK vote base (even after adjusting for the lower voter turnout).

In Madurantakam, AIADMK candidate Maragatham Kumaravel, who contested the byelection on the TVK ticket, secured 74,048 votes, more than 5,000 above her tally in the Assembly election. This was despite the TVK’s candidate, Ezhil Katherine, having secured 62,090 votes in the Assembly election. The increase notwithstanding, the result raises questions about the extent to which the AIADMK’s vote base remained with Ms. Kumaravel after her defection to the TVK.

The DMK’s vote count, too, declined. I. Paranthaman, a well-known party face but an outsider to the constituency, secured 54,008 votes, against the 59,838 polled by the party’s candidate, S. Amulu Ponmalar, in the Assembly election. The decline could partly be attributed to the absence of allies such as the VCK, which has a substantial presence in the constituency. The Pattali Makkal Katchi’s (PMK), decision to remain neutral in the election may have divided its Vanniyar support base. The party had contested the Assembly election in the company of the AIADMK.

DMK president M.K. Stalin said the combined votes polled by the parties that contested against the ruling TVK showed that the government had been rejected by a majority of voters.

A senior DMK leader and former Minister described the result in Dharapuram as an “honourable defeat”, pointing out that the constituency was in the Kongu region, considered an AIADMK stronghold, and that former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami remained a well-known political figure in the area.

“In Madurantakam too, we have retained our vote bank even though our allies have switched camps. We need to concentrate on the section of young voters who have grown fond of the TVK and the screen-crafted charisma of Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay. We will evolve a strategy to overcome the shortcomings,” he added.