TVK fields Maragatham Kumaravel, Sathyabama for Madurantakam, Dharapuram bypolls

CHENNAI: The ruling TVK on Thursday named former AIADMK MLAs K Maragatham Kumaravel and P Sathyabama as its candidates for the October 6 bypolls to Madurantakam (SC) and Dharapuram (SC) Assembly constituencies, respectively, fulfilling the assurance given to the two leaders when they resigned their Assembly seats and joined the party.

In a statement, TVK president and Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay appealed to party functionaries and cadres to work for the candidates’ victory and secure a decisive mandate for the party.Vijay said the candidates would contest the elections on behalf of the Secular Social Justice Victory Alliance.

Maragatham Kumaravel, who represented Madurantakam, and Sathyabama, who represented Dharapuram, had quit the AIADMK and resigned as MLAs on May 25 before joining the TVK. Their resignations led to the two constituencies falling vacant. The Election Commission has since scheduled bypolls to both seats for October 6, with counting on October 9.

The TVK’s decision assumes significance as the two former AIADMK legislators had been widely expected to be given another opportunity to contest from the constituencies they had represented. Soon after their induction into the TVK, party sources had indicated that they could be fielded in the bypolls.

Maragatham Kumaravel is a deputy general secretary of the TVK, while Sathyabama serves as the party’s Tiruppur South-East district secretary.

The announcement comes amid preparations by the AIADMK to reclaim both seats and the DMK’s decision to field I Paranthaman in Madurantakam and S Suganya in Dharapuram. The AIADMK has also sought the support of its alliance partners, including the BJP.