TVK fields former AIADMK MLA P. Sathyabama for the Dharapuram (SC) by-election on October 6. Sathyabama won the seat on an AIADMK ticket in 2026, resigned and joined TVK as Tiruppur south-east district secretary. DMK fields S. Suganya, a young advocate. AIADMK and NTK also contesting.
By-Elections 2026 · Polling 6 Oct · Result 9 Oct
Dharapuram full coverage ›TVK has officially announced P. Sathyabama as its candidate for the Dharapuram (AC No. 101, SC reserved) by-election on October 6, 2026. The contest is under the banner of the Secular Social Justice Victory Alliance.
| Party | Candidate | Background |
|---|---|---|
| TVK (Ruling) | P. Sathyabama | Former AIADMK MLA for Dharapuram (won 2026 election on AIADMK ticket). Now TVK Tiruppur south-east district secretary. Resigned as MLA and joined TVK, triggering this by-election. |
| DMK | S. Suganya | Young advocate. DMK fielded her as a fresh face for Dharapuram — DMK had contested with Dr Indirani in 2026 who lost to Sathyabama. |
| AIADMK | Bhanumathi | Announced by EPS on September 10. AIADMK contesting to reclaim the seat it lost to defection. |
| NTK | M. Karthika | Naam Tamilar Katchi candidate. |
| CPI | P. Lakshmanan | Contesting as part of an independent Left front, outside the ruling alliance. |
| CPI-M | — | Not contesting here; the CPI(M)’s Left-front candidate is in Madurantakam. |
P. Sathyabama won Dharapuram in the 2026 Assembly election on an AIADMK ticket with 81,100 votes. DMK came second; TVK came third. After TVK formed the government, she resigned from AIADMK and her Assembly seat, and joined TVK as Tiruppur south-east district secretary. The EC called the by-election as a result.
Historical note: This is Dharapuram's first by-election since 1967 — making it an extremely rare electoral event. The seat has swung between DMK and AIADMK over the decades. Farmers here want better irrigation and water supply — the dominant local issues alongside rural employment.
May 2026 result: P. Sathyabama (AIADMK) polled 81,100 votes and beat DMK’s P. Indrani (64,373) by 16,727 votes; TVK’s S. Gowri Chitra was third with 46,438 (23.23%). Turnout was 88.84%.
17 Sep — scrutiny: 51 nominations were filed; 29 were rejected and 22 accepted, including 13 independents. The PMK said it would support no party in the bypolls.
26 Sep: Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin held a roadshow with DMK candidate S. Suganya (IANS). Palaniswami is scheduled to campaign on 27–28 Sep and 2 Oct. 30 Sep: CM Vijay’s Dharapuram public meeting, on a ~54-acre site in the Maruti Nagar area.
Full dates, all candidates and every story: Dharapuram By-Election 2026 coverage page.
The DMK's choice of Suganya — a young advocate with no prior electoral history — signals a strategy of freshness over heavyweights in Dharapuram. The constituency, unlike Madurantakam, does not have a high-profile DMK name attached. TVK's challenge is similar: demonstrating that Sathyabama's personal vote in 2026 was transferable to TVK as a party rather than to her as an AIADMK candidate. AIADMK's EPS claims the party will win back both seats it lost through defections — calling the vacancies “engineered.” NTK's presence in both seats adds a further variable in an already four-cornered contest.
The by-elections will be the first electoral test for the TVK government since winning the 2026 Assembly election in May.
Dharapuram By-Election Oct 6 TVK vs DMK