TVK chief campaigns for Maragatham Kumaravel as crowds gather across more than 30 villages ahead of October 6 polling
Chennai, Oct 2026 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president C. Joseph Vijay intensified his campaign for the Madurantakam Assembly by-election on Friday, leading a roadshow across the constituency in support of party candidate Maragatham Kumaravel.
The roadshow began from Mamandur at around 2.30 p.m. and covered about 45 km, passing through more than 30 villages and several semi-urban neighbourhoods. Vijay travelled in a campaign vehicle alongside Kumaravel, waving to people gathered along the route, greeting them with folded hands and seeking support for the TVK candidate.
Large numbers of residents gathered outside their homes, at road junctions and along major stretches of the route to catch a glimpse of the TVK chief. Party workers also organised cultural programmes and dance performances at several locations while people waited for the campaign vehicle to arrive.
The campaign also included a series of informal interactions. Vijay stopped at a roadside tea shop in L Enathur, where he interacted with local residents and had tea. At another location, he entered a farmland and spoke with women working there. He later briefly drove a tractor through an agricultural field before continuing with the roadshow.
The roadshow passed through several parts of the Madurantakam constituency, with supporters and party workers assembling at multiple points. Ministers N Anand and Aadhav Arjuna accompanied Vijay during the campaign. The programme concluded at Mambakkam after several hours.
Extensive arrangements were made for the roadshow, with police and district authorities focusing on crowd management and traffic regulation. Barricades were installed at various points, while security personnel were deployed along the route. The administration had also issued guidelines to ensure that the event did not disrupt traffic and that people remained within designated areas.
The Madurantakam by-election is scheduled for October 6, with counting of votes to take place on October 9. The bypoll was necessitated after Maragatham Kumaravel resigned as an AIADMK MLA and subsequently joined TVK. She has now been renominated by Vijay’s party. A similar by-election is being held in Dharapuram after AIADMK MLA P Sathyabama resigned and joined TVK.
The two by-elections have become significant for the newly formed TVK government, with several political parties stepping up their campaigns in the final days before polling. Opposition parties have also been campaigning in the constituencies, making the contests closely watched.
Vijay had earlier visited Madurantakam and addressed a public meeting in support of Kumaravel. On Thursday, leaders of the TVK-led alliance, including VCK president Thol Thirumavalavan, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president Manickam Tagore and MDMK general secretary Vaiko, also campaigned for the TVK candidate.
With campaigning approaching its final phase, political parties are using roadshows, public meetings and direct voter outreach to connect with the electorate. Vijay’s latest programme combined a conventional campaign roadshow with stops aimed at interacting directly with residents, farmers and other sections of the constituency.
The Madurantakam campaign will continue until October 4 evening, after which campaigning will come to an end ahead of the October 6 vote. The final outcome will be determined when votes are counted on October 9.
