CHENNAI: Political instability and internal party turmoil in Tamil Nadu have once again brought the focus back on Assembly bypolls, following the resignation of three AIADMK MLAs soon after the 2026 Assembly election.
For several decades, by-elections in TN were largely triggered only by the death of sitting legislators, particularly during the era of dominant Dravidian leaders such as M Karunanidhi and J Jayalalithaa.
However, over the past two decades, political defections, resignations and internal rebellions have increasingly become reasons for Assembly bypolls in the State.
The shift became visible in 2014, when senior Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) leader Panruti S Ramachandran resigned as MLA from the Alandur constituency following a dispute with the party leadership.
Tamil Nadu witnessed one of its biggest waves of bypolls in 2019 when 18 MLAs loyal to TTV Dhinakaran rebelled against the AIADMK leadership headed by Edappadi K Palaniswami and later aligned with the Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK). The resignations resulted in by-elections in 18 Assembly constituencies. The then ruling AIADMK won 9 seats to retain its majority in the Assembly, while the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) secured victories in several others.
The trend later spread to national parties as well. In 2024, Congress MLA S Vijayadharani resigned from the Vilavancode constituency and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).