Chennai: The fall in voter turnout in the Madurantakam and Dharapuram bypolls on Tuesday suggests that roadshows by TVK leader C Joseph Vijay could not offset voter fatigue.At the end of the day, Madurantakam registered 86.26% and Dharapuram 80.3% voting. The constituencies had registered 93.22% and 89.89% voting in the assembly election in April this year.The decline is significant as the bypolls followed the defection of sitting AIADMK MLAs Maragatham Kumaravel and P Sathyabama to TVK. Vijay had organised roadshows in both the constituencies, in contrast to his relatively limited campaigning during the April polls.The low turnout is consistent with the pattern observed in several by-elections triggered by disqualification or resignation of MLAs over the past decade. Of the 18 bypolls held in 2019 after AIADMK MLAs were disqualified for switching sides and aligning with expelled party leader T T V Dhinakaran, at least 12 recorded a decline in turnout compared with the previous assembly election or its equivalent.The seats where turnout declined in 2019 include Andipatti (to 75.9% from 78.25% in 2016); Harur (82.3% from 84.3%) and Pappireddipatti (to 83.8% from 85.78%). Periyakulam recorded a turnout of 72.9%, down from 74.9%, while Sattur saw a decline to 76.2% from 78.22%. In Thanjavur, the turnout fell to 67.3% from 69.41%.The Vilavankode bypoll held after the resignation of Congress MLA S Vijayadharani in 2024 recorded a turnout of 65.39%, compared with 67.12% in the 2021 assembly election.In contrast, the turnout rose when the election was necessitated by the death of an MLA. In the 2023 Erode East bypoll following the death of Congress MLA E V K S Elangovan, polling rose to 74.5%, from 66.56% in 2021. Similarly, the turnout in the 2017 Dr Radhakrishnan Nagar bypoll held after the death of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa was 77.5%, up from 68.36% in the previous election.This time, the Left parties’ criticism of the defections and alleged voter inducements by the parties have added another dimension to the bypolls in Madurantakam and Dharapuram. “There is widespread anger that the elections were imposed unnecessarily,” said Madurantakam DMK candidate I Paranthamen.However, TVK candidate Maragatham Kumaravel cited a local public holiday unlike the general holiday during the assembly elections as one of the reasons for the lower turnout. She dismissed allegations of betrayal. “When EPS tried to form a govt with the support of DMK, we had to leave,” said the two-time MLA. “My voters are convinced about my decision and will stand by Annan Vijay. Oct 9 will be a day of celebration for us.”
