Chennai: Tamil Nadu’s ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) is facing an unusual problem: It is heading into its first Assembly bypolls since it came to power, but the Left parties, which support the government from outside, are contesting against TVK candidates in two seats and targeting it over defections and other issues
The Left parties have fielded their own candidates for the October 6 Madurantakam and Dharapuram bypolls instead of supporting the ruling party’s nominees.
The CPI and CPI(M) emphasised that they remain outside any formal alliance or Cabinet and would continue to give issue-based outside support to prevent President’s Rule or indirect BJP influence, while using the bypolls to project an independent political line.
The TVK is treating the bypolls as a litmus test of its electoral strength and the new alliance’s cohesion, even as it remains confident of winning both seats.
The seats fell vacant after AIADMK MLAs Maragatham Kumaravel from Madurantakam and P. Sathyabama from Dharapuram resigned within weeks of winning the April 2026 Assembly election on the ‘Two Leaves’ symbol and joined the ruling TVK.
The TVK promptly renominated both on its ‘Whistle’ symbol as candidates of the Secular Social Justice Victory Alliance with the Congress, VCK, MDMK and IUML. The Left refused to join that front or back the nominees and decided to contest the elections alone.
CPI(M) state secretary P. Shanmugam and CPI state secretary M. Veerapandian have made the defections issue their primary campaign focus in both these constituencies, where protests against these candidates have already been reported.
They call the bypolls “imposed” rather than a natural outcome, arguing that the legislators “betrayed” voters by quitting barely 20 days after the results and that TVK’s decision to re-field them signals that floor-crossing will be rewarded.
Shanmugam said during his campaign that the TVK candidates are being “chased away by the people” in villages and questioned any guarantee they would not switch again if re-elected.
“The AIADMK MLAs who have resigned cannot offer any reasonable justification for resigning within 20 days and joining TVK. It is very wrong to take such a decision against the sentiments of the people. What is the guarantee that they will not do it again?” he said.
The CPI(M) is fielding P. Suganthi, the general secretary of the Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front in Madurantakam, while the CPI has nominated construction worker and local leader P. Lakshmanan in Dharapuram. Both parties, along with CPI(ML) Liberation, are contesting as a Left Front and have appealed to democratic forces for support.
From defections to law and order
The Left parties also raised the law and order issue, condemning recent murders in the state, while also questioning what they described as the lack of transparency regarding over Rs 1 lakh crore in private investments.
The left parties have also targeted the TVK government over power cuts, sanitation workers’ protests, and farmers’ loan waiver issues.
The proposed new Secretariat at Pattinapakkam is another bone of contention, with the Left staging a protest against the move. The government denied permission for the protest, but CPI(M) went ahead with it.
During the protest, Shanmugam said that the TVK only got 34 percent votes and the government was continuing with the support of political parties such as the CPI(M) and the CPI.
Warning the TVK of withdrawing support last week, he said, “If you act and make decisions according to your wishes, we will be forced to make a decision.”
The Left also directly criticised Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay over his personal attacks on DMK president M.K. Stalin.
Education Minister Rajmohan said in a statement to the media that the party relies on the support of the people and was confident of victory. He added that ties with the Left parties remained intact.
Vijay is scheduled to campaign in two phases, spending two days in each constituency addressing public meetings and roadshows.
The campaign will focus on highlighting the government’s performance in the first 100 days and will seek to broaden the party’s reach to middle-aged and senior voters beyond the party’s strong youth and women base.
Party sources say the goal is also to build momentum ahead of potential bypolls in five other seats.
Ministers and general secretaries, including K.A. Sengottaiyan and others, are on the ground coordinating cadre work.
The party is also continuing its social media campaign, using dedicated Instagram pages and reels using Vijay’s film songs that helped it win the Assembly elections.
As part of its digital campaign, the party is using videos responding to opposition attacks. Sathyabama’s page, for instance, pushes back against allegations of “betrayal” by pointing to how other rival party leaders have also switched from one party to another in the past.
The party initially listed alliance leaders MDMK leader Vaiko, VCK leader Thol. Thirumavalavan, Congress leader Manickam Tagore and others as star campaigners but later revised the list after Election Commission objections and opposition complaints that only a party’s own leaders can be designated as such.
The central charge against Maragatham Kumaravel and Sathyabama is political opportunism and betrayal of the mandate.
Both won on AIADMK tickets, with Maragatham winning for the second time in Madurantakam. Sathyabama won her first election from Dharapuram, but then resigned and crossed over to the TVK, forcing the bypolls.
Critics, especially the Left and the AIADMK, say their nomination rewards defection.
Both the seats are traditional strongholds of the AIADMK and even a single loss would be a significant setback for the TVK since it is the ruling party that usually benefits in bypolls.
The TVK counters by framing the candidates as experienced local faces now aligned with a stable government, and by stressing an image of development and anti-corruption.
(Edited by Sugita Katyal)
Also read: What’s behind Left parties’ decision not to go with Vijay’s TVK-led alliance in bypolls