DMK fields Paranthamen, Suganya for Madurantakam, Dharapuram bypolls
Synopsis
The DMK has jumped first in Tamil Nadu's October bypolls, fielding veteran loyalist I. Paranthamen — who once publicly criticised his own party leadership — and newcomer S. Suganya. With former AIADMK MLAs who vacated these seats now expected to run for the ruling TVK, and the DMK's alliance visibly shrunk, these two constituencies have become a referendum on where Tamil Nadu's opposition stands.
Key Takeaways
Paranthamen for Madurantakam and S.
Suganya for Dharapuram on 9 September .
Both candidates will contest under the Secular Progressive Alliance banner for the 6 October bypolls.
The seats fell vacant after AIADMK legislators K.
Maragatham Kumaravel and P.
Sathyabama resigned and joined the TVK .
The TVK and AIADMK are yet to announce their candidates; the former MLAs are widely expected to be fielded by the TVK.
Key alliance partners including Congress , CPI(M) , CPI , VCK , and IUML have left the DMK's coalition and now back the TVK government .
Madurantakam has 2,11,295 registered voters; polling is on 6 October and counting on 9 October .
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Wednesday, 9 September became the first major party to declare candidates for the 6 October bypolls to the Madurantakam and Dharapuram Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu, setting up the first electoral test for the state's three-month-old Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government.
Candidates Announced
DMK President M.K. Stalin named party spokesperson and legal wing joint secretary I. Paranthamen as the candidate for Madurantakam, while political newcomer S. Suganya will contest from Dharapuram. Stalin confirmed that both candidates are being fielded under the banner of the Secular Progressive Alliance.
Paranthamen previously represented the Egmore constituency in the Assembly between 2021 and 2026 but was denied a ticket in this year's state election. Following the DMK's heavy defeat, he publicly criticised senior party leader P.K. Sekarbabu and called upon the leadership to initiate corrective measures. Despite that public intervention, his selection is being widely viewed as recognition of his sustained organisational loyalty to the party.
Why These Seats Are Vacant
The two vacancies arose after sitting All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) legislators — K. Maragatham Kumaravel of Madurantakam and P. Sathyabama of Dharapuram — resigned their seats and subsequently joined the TVK. Both former legislators are widely expected to be fielded by the ruling party for the bypolls, though an official announcement is yet to be made. The TVK and the AIADMK have not yet named their nominees.
A Shrinking Alliance
Notably, the Secular Progressive Alliance that backs the DMK has contracted significantly. Major partners including the Indian National Congress (Congress), Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)), Communist Party of India (CPI), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) have moved away from the DMK and extended support instead to the TVK government headed by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay. This realignment makes the bypolls a direct measure of the DMK's standalone electoral strength in a changed political landscape.
Poll Schedule and Voter Data
Polling is scheduled for 6 October, with votes to be counted on 9 October. The nomination process opened on 9 September and will remain open until 16 September. The Model Code of Conduct has already come into effect in Madurantakam, which has 2,11,295 registered electors — comprising 1,03,943 men, 1,07,288 women, and 64 third-gender voters.
Broader Context: Seven Vacant Seats in Tamil Nadu
Madurantakam and Dharapuram are among seven Assembly constituencies currently lying vacant in Tamil Nadu. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has not yet announced bypolls for the remaining five — Tiruchy East, Ambasamudram, Viralimalai, Perundurai, and Karur — as election petitions involving returned candidates in those constituencies remain pending. The restraint on holding elections in those five seats was extended until 8 September.
With the DMK moving early to stake its claim, all eyes are now on the TVK and the AIADMK to finalise their candidates. The results are expected to signal whether the Opposition has begun to recover ground after its significant setback in the recent Assembly elections.
Point of View
The party needs to demonstrate it can still compete independently. Fielding Paranthamen, who publicly broke ranks after the Assembly defeat, is a calculated signal that internal dissent will be absorbed rather than punished, provided loyalty holds. The real story, however, is structural: with Congress, CPI(M), CPI, VCK, and IUML now backing Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay's TVK, the DMK faces a contest where its traditional vote-transfer arithmetic no longer applies. These two seats will tell us whether the DMK's base is resilient enough to survive the realignment — or whether Tamil Nadu's opposition space is being fundamentally redrawn.
NationPress
9 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has the DMK fielded for the Madurantakam and Dharapuram bypolls?
The DMK has named party spokesperson and legal wing joint secretary I. Paranthamen for Madurantakam and political newcomer S. Suganya for Dharapuram. Both candidates will contest under the Secular Progressive Alliance banner in the 6 October bypolls.
Why are the Madurantakam and Dharapuram seats vacant?
The seats fell vacant after sitting AIADMK legislators K. Maragatham Kumaravel of Madurantakam and P. Sathyabama of Dharapuram resigned and joined the ruling TVK. Both former legislators are widely expected to be fielded by the TVK, though no official announcement has been made.
When is the polling and counting scheduled for these Tamil Nadu bypolls?
Polling is scheduled for 6 October, with votes to be counted on 9 October. The nomination window opened on 9 September and closes on 16 September.
Why has the DMK's Secular Progressive Alliance shrunk ahead of these bypolls?
Several major alliance partners — including the Congress, CPI(M), CPI, VCK, and IUML — have moved away from the DMK and extended support to the TVK government led by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay. This realignment has significantly reduced the DMK's coalition strength going into the bypolls.
What is the significance of these bypolls for Tamil Nadu politics?
These bypolls represent the first electoral test for the three-month-old TVK government and will indicate whether the DMK-led opposition has begun to recover after its heavy defeat in the recent Assembly elections. The outcome is being watched as a gauge of the new political alignment in Tamil Nadu.
