TVK won the Madurantakam and Dharapuram by-elections on 9 October: K. Maragatham Kumaravel by 20,040 votes and P. Sathyabama by 9,471. TVK now has 109 MLAs.
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) won both Assembly by-elections held on 6 October, in the first electoral test for Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s government. Results were declared on Friday, October 9, 2026. K. Maragatham Kumaravel won Madurantakam (SC) and P. Sathyabama won Dharapuram (SC), both on TVK’s whistle symbol. The DMK finished second and the AIADMK third in both seats.
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| K. Maragatham Kumaravel ✓ | TVK | 74,048 | 39.96% |
| I. Paranthamen | DMK | 54,008 | 29.15% |
| S. Kanitha Sampath | AIADMK | 47,450 | 25.61% |
| G. Janakiraman | NTK | 2,709 | 1.46% |
| P. Suganthi | CPI(M) | 1,986 | 1.07% |
| 22 others | — | 4,439 | 2.40% |
| NOTA | — | 652 | 0.35% |
Margin: 20,040 votes after all 27 rounds, according to the Election Commission’s results portal (via NewsX). Early reports during the day gave a margin of about 19,240 votes. In May, Maragatham Kumaravel won the seat for the AIADMK by 7,194 votes.
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| P. Sathyabama ✓ | TVK | 66,841 | 37.02% |
| S. Suganya | DMK | 57,370 | 31.78% |
| K. Banumathi | AIADMK | 45,280 | 25.08% |
| M. Karthika | NTK | 5,268 | 2.92% |
| P. Lakshmanan | CPI | 1,157 | 0.64% |
| 17 others | — | 3,939 | 2.18% |
| NOTA | — | 677 | 0.38% |
Margin: 9,471 votes after all 23 rounds (Election Commission figures, reported by The South First and NewsX). Shares are calculated by us from the candidate totals.
“This is not Vijay’s victory alone, nor the victory of the TVK alone. It is a victory for the people and the voters.” — CM Vijay (ETV Bharat)
“This is an election won without spending a single paisa on votes … In sum, a victory for political civility. A victory for individual dignity.” — CM Vijay (ANI)
He thanked the voters of both constituencies, the two winning candidates, the leaders and workers of the alliance parties — the Congress, VCK, IUML and others — the ministers, and TVK functionaries at every level (ANI, ETV Bharat).
“All the votes cast in this by-election were for Chief Minister Thalapathy Vijay.” — K. Maragatham Kumaravel (Oneindia Tamil)
| TVK MLAs | |
|---|---|
| May 2026 election — seats won | 108 |
| Vijay vacates Tiruchirappalli East (keeps Perambur), 10 May | 107 |
| By-election wins, 9 October | 109 |
The South First and India Today put TVK’s strength at 109 after the results; some reports gave 110. Five seats remain vacant — Tiruchirappalli East, Perundurai, Ambasamudram, Viralimalai and Karur — and their by-elections are on hold pending court proceedings.
Both winners were elected on the AIADMK ticket in May 2026. They resigned from the Assembly on 25 May and joined TVK, and then retained their seats as TVK candidates. Turnout was about 86% in Madurantakam and 80.30% in Dharapuram, against 93% and 89% in May.
TVK supporters celebrated at the party headquarters in Panaiyur, Chennai.
Sources: ANI; ETV Bharat; The South First; NewsX — Madurantakam (ECI figures); NewsX — Dharapuram (ECI figures); Oneindia Tamil.
By-Election Results TVK Day 152