Thirumavalavan: VCK votes key to TVK alliance wins in Madurantakam, Dharapuram bypolls
Synopsis
Thirumavalavan is pushing back hard against a narrative forming around the TVK alliance's bypoll wins — one that credits PMK voters and sidelines the VCK. His counterargument zeroes in on the AIADMK's dramatic collapse and VCK mobilisation as the real drivers of the verdict, signalling that the intra-alliance battle for credit has already begun.
Key Takeaways
Thirumavalavan claimed his party's voters were decisive in the TVK-led alliance's wins in Madurantakam and Dharapuram Assembly bypolls.
He rejected claims that PMK vote transfer alone explained the alliance's victory, calling the assumption inadequate.
Thirumavalavan identified the AIADMK's severe vote erosion — having previously won both seats — as the most significant factor in the bypoll outcome.
He suggested voters may have penalised the AIADMK for elected representatives switching political allegiance after winning on its ticket.
He called on the DMK to formally join the INDIA bloc to consolidate opposition against the BJP .
Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) president Thol. Thirumavalavan on 11 October 2026 asserted that his party's voter base played a decisive role in the TVK-led alliance's victories in the Madurantakam and Dharapuram Assembly bypolls, pushing back against narratives that credited the wins entirely to support from the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK). Speaking to reporters at the VCK office in Ashok Nagar, Chennai, Thirumavalavan said the bypoll results reflected genuine public support and that a closer examination of the vote tally would confirm the VCK's contribution in both seats.
AIADMK's Erosion at the Centre of the Verdict
Thirumavalavan identified the most significant shift in the bypolls as the substantial collapse of the AIADMK's vote share. The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) had held both Madurantakam and Dharapuram in the preceding general election, making its reversal in the bypolls a defining feature of the results.
He offered one possible explanation: voters may have grown sceptical of the AIADMK after witnessing its elected representatives switch political allegiance following victories on the party's ticket. According to him, this could have led voters to question whether supporting the party again would yield durable representation. However, he cautioned that this hypothesis needed to be tested against other contributing factors before any definitive conclusion could be drawn about how the AIADMK's votes dispersed among candidates.
Thirumavalavan Rejects PMK Vote-Transfer Narrative
Turning to the PMK, which chose to stay out of the bypoll contest entirely, Thirumavalavan rejected the claim that the PMK's entire support base had migrated to the TVK-led alliance. He questioned how a wholesale transfer of PMK votes could be assumed and argued that such an explanation failed to adequately account for the electoral arithmetic.
He also disputed the notion that PMK voters had acted in a uniform or coordinated manner in favour of the winning alliance. In his assessment, attributing the victories primarily to PMK support served to diminish the VCK's own electoral weight and the concrete contribution its voters made in both constituencies.
VCK's Role and Alliance Dynamics
Thirumavalavan maintained that the VCK's voter mobilisation had been a material factor in securing both seats for the alliance. He indicated that this could be demonstrated through a constituency-level analysis of the results.
This comes amid broader competition among alliance partners in Tamil Nadu to establish their individual electoral relevance — a dynamic that often intensifies after shared victories. The VCK, which represents Dalit communities and has historically been a key mobilising force in southern Tamil Nadu, has been asserting greater visibility within the alliance framework.
DMK Must Join INDIA Bloc Against BJP, Says Thirumavalavan
Broadening the discussion to national politics, Thirumavalavan called on the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) to formally align with the INDIA bloc to mount a coordinated opposition to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He stressed the urgency of political consolidation among Opposition parties, framing the VCK's alliance positioning as part of a larger ideological commitment against the BJP's national dominance.
His remarks add to the ongoing conversation around the shape of Tamil Nadu's Opposition architecture ahead of the 2026 state Assembly elections, where alliance configurations and vote-sharing arrangements are expected to be closely contested.
Point of View
Tacked on at the end, signals that Thirumavalavan is positioning the VCK as both an ideological anchor and a coalition broker — a dual role that will be tested as Tamil Nadu's pre-election arithmetic firms up.
NationPress
11 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Thirumavalavan say about the Madurantakam and Dharapuram bypoll results?
VCK president Thol. Thirumavalavan said the TVK-led alliance's victories in the Madurantakam and Dharapuram Assembly bypolls reflected broad public support and that VCK voters had materially contributed to the outcome in both constituencies. He made these remarks at the VCK office in Ashok Nagar, Chennai on 11 October 2026.
Why did Thirumavalavan reject the PMK vote-transfer argument?
Thirumavalavan argued that assuming the entire PMK voter base had uniformly backed the TVK-led alliance was an oversimplification that did not adequately explain the electoral arithmetic. He said such a claim served to understate the VCK's own contribution to the bypoll victories.
What happened to the AIADMK in the Madurantakam and Dharapuram bypolls?
The AIADMK, which had won both Madurantakam and Dharapuram in the preceding general election, suffered a major setback in the bypolls, according to Thirumavalavan. He suggested voter disillusionment over AIADMK representatives switching political allegiance after winning on the party's ticket may have contributed to its collapse.
What did Thirumavalavan say about the DMK and the INDIA bloc?
Thirumavalavan called on the DMK to formally join the INDIA bloc to mount a unified opposition against the BJP. He framed political consolidation among Opposition parties as necessary and positioned the VCK's alliance role as part of a broader ideological stand.
Why do these bypoll results matter for Tamil Nadu politics?
The Madurantakam and Dharapuram bypolls are seen as an early indicator of electoral alignments ahead of the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. The contest over which alliance partner deserves credit for the wins will directly influence seat-sharing negotiations, making Thirumavalavan's claims politically significant beyond the immediate results.
