Bye elections in the Madurantakam and Dharapuram Assembly constituencies, both reserved for Scheduled Castes, have been contested by the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). The party has fielded candidates in an attempt to reverse the decline in its support among SC voters, a trend that has been evident since the 2016 elections.
AIADMK won 32 of the 44 reserved seats in 2016, but its tally has fallen to 15 in 2021 and further to eight in the most recent 2026 elections. Two newly elected SC legislators, K. Maragatham Kumaravel and P. Sathyabama, left the party after voting in favour of the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) in a trust motion in mid‑May. Former four‑time MLA C.K. Thamizharasan has blamed the current leadership for abandoning pro‑SC policies and for failing to secure the community’s votes, citing earlier reforms such as the abolition of hereditary Village Officers and the appointment of SCs as Village Administrative Officers during M.G. Ramachandran’s tenure.
Other party voices offer a more optimistic view. M. Anandan, a deputy general secretary of the TVK who served as Adi‑Dravidar and Tribal Welfare Minister under Jayalalithaa, argues that the party’s representation of SC ministers has been inadequate, while M. Dhanapal, an AIADMK Rajya Sabha member, points to schemes such as the rural habitation programme and the appointment of SC leaders to key organisational posts. Harur MLA V. Sampathkumar highlights the 7.5% horizontal reservation scheme for government school students and the distribution of livestock as significant welfare measures.
Despite the setbacks, several party officials remain confident that the AIADMK will regain its footing in these bye‑elections, citing a growing awareness among voters that past decisions may have been misjudged. The outcome could test the party’s ability to mobilise its traditional SC base in the face of rising competition from the TVK.
