Chennai, September 25, 2026: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president C Joseph Vijay is set to launch his campaign for the October 6 Assembly bypolls at Madurantakam on Friday. His address is scheduled for around 3 pm near the Athur toll plaza in Chengalpattu district. TVK has limited entry to 5,000 people who were issued QR-code passes in advance, in line with the arrangements announced for the event.

The Madurantakam and Dharapuram bypolls are the first elections faced by the TVK government since it took office in May. They were triggered when AIADMK legislators Maragatham Kumaravel and P Sathyabama resigned their Assembly seats and joined TVK. Vijay’s party has fielded both former legislators again, this time under its own banner. Voting is scheduled for October 6, with counting on October 9.

The candidates’ change of party has become a central campaign issue. AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami has sought to win back the seats, while TVK is asking voters to support the two candidates who previously won them for the AIADMK. The DMK and other parties are also contesting, giving voters more choices than a direct TVK–AIADMK race. A total of 49 candidates remained in the two constituencies after withdrawals: 27 in Madurantakam and 22 in Dharapuram.

The Left parties add another dimension to the contest. Although they support the Vijay government from outside, the CPI and CPI(M) are contesting the bypolls separately. That puts them on the ballot against candidates of a government they continue to sustain in the Assembly. The PMK, which has influence in parts of northern Tamil Nadu, has said it will not support any party in the two contests.

Vijay’s Madurantakam appearance gives TVK its most prominent opportunity yet to answer criticism over the defections and present its record in office to voters. Opposition parties are also raising local concerns, including power cuts and objections to the government’s proposed Secretariat and Assembly complex near Marina Beach. TVK, meanwhile, is expected to highlight its welfare measures as it seeks a mandate for its candidates.

For voters, the October 6 result will decide who represents Madurantakam and Dharapuram after their previous legislators resigned. For Vijay, it will also provide an early measure of how his party’s appeal holds up in a bypoll campaign shaped by rival parties, local issues and the circumstances that created both vacancies.