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AIADMK Faces Deep Crisis After Severe Vote Share Decline in Tamil Nadu Bypolls
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News18•12-10-2026, 14:15
AIADMK Faces Deep Crisis After Severe Vote Share Decline in Tamil Nadu Bypolls
- •The AIADMK suffered a severe defeat in the Madurantakam and Dharapuram bypolls, finishing a distant third and witnessing a sharp decline in its traditional vote base.
- •In the party stronghold of Dharapuram, the vote share plummeted from 40.56 percent in the April Assembly elections to 25.08 percent in the October bypoll.
- •Both seats were previously won by the AIADMK, but the sitting MLAs defected to the ruling TVK led by C Joseph Vijay, who subsequently won the by-elections with the same candidates.
- •General Secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami blamed the defeat on horse-trading by the TVK and announced plans for a structural overhaul and youth outreach on the party foundation day.
Key Questions Answered
The AIADMK came a distant third in both reserved seats during the October 6, 2026 bypolls, experiencing a sharp drop in vote share from the April 2026 Assembly elections.
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami alleged that the by-polls were artificially triggered by the TVK through horse-trading, cash-for-MLAs tactics, and backroom deals to lure away sitting legislators.
After winning the April Assembly polls on AIADMK tickets, several sitting MLAs resigned, jumped ship to Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's TVK, and won the subsequent bypolls on TVK tickets, severely damaging the AIADMK's traditional vote base
