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Tamil Nadu bypolls: Madurantakam and Dharapuram record 55.19% and 56.09% polling as of 1 p.m.
On Tuesday, voters in Tamil Nadu's Madurantakam and Dharapuram cast ballots in by-elections, with turnout reaching 35.55% and 37.28% respectively by 11 a.m. The vote marks the first electoral battle for the Joseph Vijay-led TVK since assuming power.
Defections of K Maragatham Kumaravel and P Sathyabama to the TVK triggered the by-elections per Statement 18. Opposition leaders Edappadi K Palaniswami and M K Stalin criticized the move, calling it "betrayal" and "political horse-trading" .
While voting remained largely peaceful, isolated incidents disrupted the process. Officials replaced ballot units in booth 55 and booth 26 due to technical errors , while police intervened at booth 137 following a voter complaint that a staffer "prompted" her to select the TVK symbol .
To ensure integrity, authorities deployed Central Armed Police Forces units to 58 vulnerable polling stations per Statement 44. Officials also installed CCTV cameras and livestreamed proceedings to the control room .
This contest serves as the first major electoral test for the TVK since assuming power in May . A loss could validate opposition claims that voters view the recent candidate defections negatively .