Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and TVK chief C Joseph Vijay, centre, along with Arunraj KG, left, and other party leaders during a meeting following the Secular Social Justice Victory Alliance's win in the Dharapuram and Maduranthakam assembly by-elections, in Chennai. (PTI Photo)Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam won both the Madurantakam and Dharapuram Assembly by-elections on Friday, returning two former AIADMK legislators to the House under a new party banner and securing an important early electoral victory for his four-month-old government.In Madurantakam, TVK’s Maragatham Kumaravel polled 74,048 votes, defeating DMK candidate E Paranthaman, who received 54,008, by 20,040 votes. AIADMK’s Kanitha Sampath finished third with 47,450.Dharapuram produced a closer contest. TVK’s P Sathyabama secured 66,841 votes, defeating DMK’s Suganya by 9,471 votes. Suganya received 57,370, while AIADMK candidate K Bhanumathi, who had led during the early rounds of counting, slipped to third with 45,280 votes.Both Kumaravel and Sathyabama had won the same constituencies on AIADMK tickets in April before resigning as MLAs and joining TVK, forcing fresh elections barely five months later. Their victories therefore carried significance beyond adding two legislators to the ruling party: voters had now returned them to the Assembly despite their change of allegiance.Vijay celebrated the results with ministers at the Secretariat as TVK workers burst crackers, distributed sweets and held celebrations across the state. In a statement, he said the results had again demonstrated TVK’s strength and described the verdict as a victory achieved without paying voters.“This is not the victory of Vijay as an individual, or of TVK alone,” he said, describing it instead as a verdict against personal attacks and derogatory comments against women, and “above all, a victory for the people.”Also Read | Why TVK joins INDIA bloc, hits pause on Vijay as PM faceCongress state president Manickam Tagore called the results a “certificate” from voters for Vijay’s four months in office, while VCK leader Thol Thirumavalavan said they represented an endorsement of the ruling Secular Social Justice Victory Alliance.Story continues below this adThe Opposition offered a sharply different reading. DMK president M K Stalin, whose candidates finished second in both constituencies, described the result as an “interim victory for betrayal” but said: “The downfall of fake image politics has begun”.Stalin accused TVK of deploying government machinery, money and police power and criticised Vijay for campaigning intensively in the two constituencies. He argued that votes cast collectively for parties opposing TVK exceeded those received by the ruling party, calling them votes against the government. TVK has rejected allegations that it used money to secure the victories.AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami similarly accused TVK of winning through the advantages of incumbency and “various tactics,” and said his party would overcome what he described as a temporary setback.Also Read | Why DMK is blowing hot and cold on Rahul Gandhi over protest against CECThe results nevertheless leave the AIADMK confronting a difficult question. Its two legislators resigned, crossed over to TVK and have now defeated candidates fielded by their former party. Four other constituencies remain vacant after their AIADMK legislators similarly resigned and joined TVK, making Friday’s results potentially consequential for further movement between the parties.Story continues below this adIn neighbouring Puducherry, the ruling NDA retained Thattanchavady. All India N R Congress candidate Ashok Anand won with 13,358 votes, defeating Congress candidate E Vinayagam, who received 4,876. DMK’s K Sethuselvam finished third with 2,664 votes. The by-election was necessitated after Chief Minister N Rangasamy, elected from both Thattanchavady and Mangalam in April, vacated the former seat.Arun Janardhanan is an experienced and authoritative Tamil Nadu correspondent for The Indian Express. Based in the state, his reporting combines ground-level access with long-form clarity, offering readers a nuanced understanding of South India’s political, judicial, and cultural life - work that reflects both depth of expertise and sustained authority. Expertise Geographic Focus: As Tamil Nadu Correspondent focused on politics, crime, faith and disputes, Janardhanan has been also reporting extensively on Sri Lanka, producing a decade-long body of work on its elections, governance, and the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings through detailed stories and interviews. Key Coverage Areas: State Politics and Governance: Close reporting on the DMK and AIADMK, the emergence of new political actors such as actor Vijay’s TVK, internal party churn, Centre–State tensions, and the role of the Governor. Legal and Judicial Affairs: Consistent coverage of the Madras High Court, including religion-linked disputes and cases involving state authority and civil liberties. Investigations: Deep-dive series on landmark cases and unresolved questions, including the Tirupati encounter and the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, alongside multiple investigative series from Tamil Nadu. Culture, Society, and Crisis: Reporting on cultural organisations, language debates, and disaster coverage—from cyclones to prolonged monsoon emergencies—anchored in on-the-ground detail. His reporting has been recognised with the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism. Beyond journalism, Janardhanan is also a screenwriter; his Malayalam feature film Aarkkariyam was released in 2021. ... Read More