AIADMK to field candidates in Madurantakam and Dharapuram bypolls: Palaniswami

AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami. File | Photo credit: PTI

AIADMK General Secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Tuesday (September 8, 2026) announced that his party would field candidates in Madurantakam and Dharapuram Assembly constituencies.

Pointing out that his party had won two seats in the Assembly elections, Mr Palaniswami told reporters outside the House that the vacancies in the two constituencies were due to the resignation of two legislators who had won on an AIADMK ticket and later quit due to “horse-trading”.

Mr. Palaniswami complained that Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay and his government did not respond in the Assembly to questions raised by his party regarding the police department.

Asked about the favorable assessment of the government by some AIADMK legislators, Mr Palaniswami said that while he did not want to go into the matter, he would say that the ruling party, which did not have enough strength in the House, was trying to keep some AIADMK members “in good spirits”. Some parties that supported the government have now criticized the regime, the AIADMK leader pointed out.

He questioned the necessity of implementing the new Secretariat project and shifting the Chief Minister’s office to the tenth floor of Namakkal Kavignar Maaligai.

I am looking for BJP’s support

AIADMK leaders handed over a letter seeking BJP’s support to the party’s state unit president Nainar Nagenthran on Tuesday. | Photo credit: Special arrangement

AIADMK has sought BJP’s support for the by-polls. BJP state unit president Nainar Nagenthran said AIADMK leaders have submitted a letter seeking BJP’s support for the bypolls.

AIADMK leaders KP Munusamy, Dindigul C Sreenivasan, OS Manian, Agri SS Krishnamurthy were among those who visited Kamalalayam in Chennai and handed over the letter, Mr. Nagenthran said in a social media post.

Senior BJP leader and former Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan was also present when AIADMK leaders visited the BJP party office.

The Election Commission of India has announced by-polls in two Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu and polling is scheduled to take place on October 6.

The by-polls for these seats were necessitated after the resignations of Maragatham Kumaravel and P. Sathyabama.

(With contributions from Dennis S. Jesudasan)

Published – 8 Sep 2026 15:36 IST