Left parties to contest in Tamil Nadu bypolls; CPI to field candidate in Dharapuram, CPI(M) in Madurantakam
The CPI and CPI(M) have announced they will contest the upcoming Tamil Nadu bypolls in Dharapuram and Madurantakam independently. The parties stated they are not part of any formal alliance, maintaining their stance of providing only outside support to the TVK government.
Why it matters
This decision creates a multi-cornered electoral contest in Tamil Nadu, potentially impacting the vote share of major regional alliances.
The two Left parties — Communist Party of India (CPI) and Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) — have decided to contest the ensuing byelections to the Dharapuram and Madurantakam Assembly constituencies without aligning with any other formations. CPI will contest the Dharapuram seat, while the CPI(M) will contest Madurantakam, said CPI State secretary M. Veerapandian on Sunday (September 13, 2026).
With the Left parties’ decision to contest as a separate front, the upcoming bypolls have become a four-cornered contest. If the Seeman-led Naam Tamilar Katchi enters the fray, it would be a five-cornered fight. The alliances led by the TVK, the DMK, and the AIADMK have already announced their candidates.
Tamil Nadu bypolls: TVK fields former AIADMK MLAs in Madurantakam, Dharapuram
DMK names candidates for Madurantakam, Dharapuram bypolls in Tamil Nadu
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