2019 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly by-elections

18 April 2019 (18 seats), 19 May 2019 (4 seats),
21 Oct 2019 (2 seats)

24 vacant seats out of 234 seats in the Legislature of Tamil Nadu
118 seats needed for a majority
Turnout75%
  First party Second party
 
Leader M. K. Stalin Edappadi K. Palaniswami
Party DMK AIADMK
Alliance UPA NDA
Leader's seat Kolathur Edappadi
Last election 3 21
Seats won 13 11
Seat change Increase10 Decrease10
Percentage 42.85 39.86


Chief Minister before election

Edappadi K. Palaniswami
AIADMK

Chief Minister

Edappadi K. Palaniswami
AIADMK

By-elections to eighteen state assembly constituencies were held in Tamil Nadu on 18 April 2019 together with 2019 Indian general election. It was considered to be mini-assembly election battle for the power in Tamil Nadu. The ruling government had to prove its majority while the opposition was trying hard to get maximum seats. There were 22 seats vacant in the Tamil Nadu assembly, By-election took place in two phases and in the first phase for 18 assembly constituencies together with Lok Sabha general election on 18 April 2019 in the state. Remaining 4 assembly constituencies (Ottapidaram, Aravakurichi, Tiruparankundram and Sulur) election was held on 19 May.[1] The counting of votes was conducted on 23 May, and on the same day the results were announced. Then the by-elections for 2 seats Vikravandi and Nanguneri were conducted on 21 October 2019

Political Turmoil and Leadership Changes (2016–2017)

2016 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Election

The backdrop for the political upheaval in Tamil Nadu unfolded with the 2016 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election held on 16th May 2016. In a surprising turn of events, the AIADMK, led by the charismatic Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, defied the odds presented by opinion polls and secured a victory by winning 134 seats out of 234. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), led by M K Stalin, emerged as the principal opposition party. Tragically, J Jayalalithaa passed away in December, leading to a series of consequential events.

Transition of Power and Leadership Struggles

Following J Jayalalithaa's demise, O Paneerselvam, the former two time Chief Minister and then Finance Minister in her cabinet, assumed the role of Chief Minister on behalf of the AIADMK. However, in January 2017, Paneerselvam resigned, paving the way for the controversial election of V K Sasikala as the next Chief Minister. The pending verdict on Sasikala's misappropriation case in the Supreme Court prompted a delay in her appointment by the Governor of Tamil Nadu.

Within days of her election, Sasikala faced a legal setback, as she was convicted and sentenced to four years in prison, rendering her ineligible for the Chief Minister's position. Simultaneously, Paneerselvam refused to comply with Sasikala's directives, leading to the formation of a rebel faction comprising 11 MLAs. Paneerselvam sought an opportunity to prove his majority in the assembly and retain the office of Chief Minister.

Resort Confinement and Appointment of Edappadi K Palanisami

In an effort to prevent horse-trading, the remaining AIADMK MLAs were sequestered in a resort in Kuvathoor near Chennai for a week. During this time, Sasikala handpicked Minister Edappadi K Palanisami as her choice for Chief Minister. Palanisami was subsequently elected by the MLAs in the resort. To avert a constitutional crisis, the Governor swore in Palanisami as the Chief Minister, despite opposition from the OPS faction.

The subsequent motion of confidence in the Legislature witnessed turmoil and physical tuggle, with 11 MLAs from the OPS faction voting against Palanisami and all opposition MLAs walking out. Nevertheless, he managed to secure majority support, solidifying his position as the Chief Minister.

Reconciliation and Fallout

O Paneerselvam later rejoined the AIADMK, assuming the role of Deputy Chief Minister in the latter half of 2017. Subsequently, VK Sasikala and her supporters were expelled from the AIADMK. In a dramatic turn of events, 19 MLAs from the Sasikala faction submitted a letter of no confidence against the Chief Minister to the Governor. The Speaker of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, responding to a complaint from the Government Whip, disqualified all of them, with the exception of MLA Jakkaiyan, who was acquitted after submitting a letter of apology.

The 18 disqualified MLAs appealed to the Judiciary to nullify the Speaker's decision, with the last verdict from the division bench of Madras High Court coming against them in January 2019. They then decided to fight the by-elections as candidates of the newly formed Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam alongside the Lok Sabha elections, rather let it sit at the Supreme Court of India.

Further Disqualification and Ministerial Loss

In addition to the political turbulence, the AIADMK faced another setback when ADMK minister P. Balakrishna Reddy was convicted in an old arson case. Consequently, he not only lost his ministerial position but also faced disqualification as the MLA from the Hosur Assembly constituency.

Tragic Loss of Political Veterans

The political landscape of Tamil Nadu experienced a profound shift with the unfortunate demise of key political figures.

In August 2018, the revered 5-time former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and President of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), M Karunanidhi, breathed his last, marking the end of an era in Tamil Nadu politics. Karunanidhi's significant contributions to the state's governance and his longstanding influence on the DMK left an indelible mark on Tamil Nadu's political history.

Adding to the somber note, the DMK suffered another loss in September 2018 with the passing of MLA Ramani in a Road accident. Her dedication and service to the party were acknowledged as the political landscape mourned the loss of a committed representative.

Continuing the sequence of unfortunate events, in 2019, the AIADMK mourned the demise of MLA Kanagaraj in Sulur. His contributions to the party and the Hosur constituency left a void, marking yet another chapter in the evolving political narrative of Tamil Nadu.

Potential Shift in Political Landscape

Historically, Tamil Nadu had witnessed a stable political scenario with no midterm switch of power from the ruling party to opposition. As the 2016 elections approached, the incumbent AIADMK government, armed with 112 MLAs, found itself six seats short of a majority to sustain its administration for the remaining two years.

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), having been relegated to the third position in the 2011 tamil nadu elections, was unable to reclaim power in the subsequent 2016 tamil nadu elections. The DMK led Secular Progressive Alliance, entered the by-elections with 98 MLAs. Their strategic goal was to secure victory in 20 out of the 24 contested seats, thereby guaranteeing a historic change in government. The stakes were high as both parties vied for a significant political shift in the state.

By-Election Event

Phase 1

Phase 1 By-Elections will be held for 18 vacant assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu.

By-Election Event Date
Election Date Announcement 10.03.2019
Last Date for Filling Nominations 26.03.2019
Scrutiny 27.03.2019
Withdrawal Last Date 29.03.2019
Voting 18.04.2019
Results 23.05.2019

Phase 2

Phase 2 By-Elections will be held for the remaining 4 vacant assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu.[2]

By-Election Event Date
Election Date Announcement 09.04.2019
Last Date for Filling Nominations 29.04.2019
Scrutiny 30.04.2019
Withdrawal Last Date 02.05.2019
Voting 19.05.2019
Results 23.05.2019

Notable Party-wise contesting candidates list

There are 36 candidates from the Recognized State political party, 46 candidates from the other registered regional parties and 187 Independent politicians for of total 269 candidates for the 18 seats by-election officially announced by Tamilnadu election commission .

Party Seats contested Seats won Change
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam 22 9 12Decrease
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam 22 13 12Increase
Amma Makkal Munnettra Kazagam 22 00 00
Makkal Needhi Maiam 20 00 00
Naam Tamilar Katchi 22 00 00
Independent politician 22 00 00

Opinion Polls

Pre-Poll

Date published Polling agency Others Leadα
NDA-AIADMK UPA-DMK AMMK
8 April 2019 Thanthi TV 8-9 8-9 0 0 1
8 April 2019 Junior Vikatan 1 17 0 0 16

Exit Polls

Date published Polling agency Others Leadα
NDA-AIADMK UPA-DMK AMMK
21 May 2019 India Today 3 14 0 0 11

Election Results

ConstituencyDMKAIADMKAMMKMNMNTKWinning candidateWinning partyMargin
Phase 1 - 18.04.2019
PoonamalleeA. KrishnaswamyG.VaidyanathanT. A. ElumalaiA. Jagadish Kumar P.Bharathi PriyaA. KrishnaswamyDMK60,096
PeramburRD SekarR S RaajeshP. VetrivelU. Priyadarshini S.Merlin SugandhiRD SekarDMK68,023
ThiruporurSR IdhayavarmanTirukazhukundram S ArumugamM.KothandapaniK.U. Karunakaran (I.K.K) Mohana SundhariSR IdhayavarmanDMK21,013
SholingurA AshokanG SampathuT.G.ManiK.S. Malairajan Gokula KrishnanG SampathuAIADMK16,056
Gudiyatham (SC)S KathavarayanKaspa R MoorthyJeyanthi PathmanabanS.Venkatesan (I.K.K) K.KalayenthiriS KathavarayanDMK27,841
AmburA.C.VilwanathanR JothiramalingarajaR.BalasubramaniA.Kareem Bahsa N.SelvamaniA.C.VilwanathanDMK37,767
HosurS.A.SathyaS.Jyothi Balakrishna ReddyV.PugazhendiJeyapal M.RajashekarS.A.SathyaDMK23,213
PappireddipattiA ManiA GovindasamyD.K.RajendranM. Nallathambi S.SathishA GovindasamyAIADMK18,493
Harur (SC)A KrishnakumarV SampathkumarR.Murugan--- P.ThileepV SampathkumarAIADMK9,394
Nilakottai (SC)C.Soundara PandiyanS ThenmozhiR.ThangathuraiR. Chinnadurai A.Sangili PandiayanS ThenmozhiAIADMK20,675
TiruvarurPoondi KalaivananR.JeevanathamS.KamarajK. Arun Chidambaram R.VinothiniPoondi KalaivananDMK64,571
ThanjavurTKG NeelamegamR GandhiM. RangaswamyP.Duraisamy M.KarthickTKG NeelamegamDMK33,980
Manamadurai (SC)IlakiyadasanS NagarajanMariyappan Kennady--- Shanmuga PriyaS NagarajanAIADMK8,194
AndipattiA MaharajanA LogirajanR.JayakuamrG.Azharsamy R.Aruna DeviA MaharajanDMK12,323
Periyakulam (SC)KS Saravana KumarM MayilvelKadhirkamuK. Prabhu ShobanaKS Saravana KumarDMK20,320
SatturSV SrinivasanM S R RajavarmanS.G SubramanianN. Sundararaj P.SureshkumarM S R RajavarmanAIADMK1,101
Paramakudi (SC)S Sampath KumarN SadanparabhakarDr. S. MuthiahA.Shankar HemalathaN SadanparabhakarAIADMK14,032
VilathikulamA.C.JayakumarP ChinnappanK.JothimanyT. Natarajan M.KalidossP ChinnappanAIADMK28,554
Phase 2 - 19.05.2019
AravakurichiV. Senthil BalajiVV Senthil NathanShahul HameedS. MohanrajP.K.Selvam V.Senthil BalajiDMK37,957
SulurPongalur N. PalanisamyV.P.KandhasamyK.SukumarG. MayilsamyV.Vijaya Ragavan V.P.KandhasamyAIADMK10,113
ThiruparankundramP.SaravananS.MuniyandiI.MahendranP. ShaktivelR.Revathi P.SaravananDMK2,396
OttapidaramM.C.ShanmugaiyaP.MohanR.SundararajM.GandhiM.Agalya M.C.ShanmugaiyaDMK19,657

Source - Election Commission of India[3]

Constituencywise candidate results

Poonamallee

Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly by-election, 2019-2020: Poonamallee
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DMK A. Krishnaswamy 1,36,905 53.46 15.01Increase
AIADMK G. Vaithiyanathan 76,809 29.99 13.33Decrease
MNM A. Jagadish Kumar 11,772 4.60 4.60Increase
AMMK T. A. Elumalai[4] 14,804 5.78 5.78Increase
NTK P. Bharathi Priya 10,871 4.24 3.17Increase
NOTA None of the Above 3,168 1.24 0.12Decrease
Majority 60,096
Turnout 2,56,108 77.06
DMK gain from AIADMK Swing

Perambur

Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly by-election, 2019-2020: Perambur
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DMK R. D. Sekar 106394 56.32 14.21Increase
AIADMK R. S. Raajesh 38371 20.31 22.09Decrease
MNM U. Priyadarshini 20508 10.86 10.86Increase
NTK S. Merlin Suganthi 8611 4.56 2.84Increase
AMMK P. Vetrivel 6281 3.32 3.32Increase
Pyramid Party of India S.Devi Dasan (Velu) 122 0.06 0.06Increase
Jebamani Janata J. Mohanraj 106 0.06 0.06Increase
NOTA None of the Above 2511 1.33 NA
Turnout
DMK gain from AIADMK Swing

Thiruporur

Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly by-election, 2019-2020: Thiruporur
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DMK L. Idhayavarman 1,03,248 47.53 13.09Increase
AIADMK S. Arumugam 82,235 37.86 2.77Increase
AMMK M. Kothandapani 11,936 5.49 5.49Increase
NTK S. Mohanasundari 9,910 4.56 3.65Increase
MNM U. Karunakaran 6,039 2.78 2.78Increase
NOTA None of the Above 2,243 1.03 0.02Decrease
Majority 21,013 9.67
Turnout 2,17,230 80.23
DMK gain from AIADMK Swing

Sholingur

2019 By-election : Sholingur[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
AIADMK G. Sampathu 1,03,545 48.00
DMK A. Asokan 87,489 40.56
AMMK T. G. Mani 12,868 5.97 +5.97
NTK P. Gokulakrishnan 5,188 2.40 +2.40
MNM A. Malayarajan 2,466 1.14 +1.14
NOTA None of the Above 2,112 0.98
Majority 16,056 7.44
Turnout 2,15,795 82.34
AIADMK hold Swing

Gudiyatham (SC)

Bye-election, 2019: Gudiyattam[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DMK S. Kathavarayan 1,06,137 52.05
AIADMK R. Moorthy 78,296 38.40
AMMK C. Jayanthi Padmanabhan 8,186 4.01 +4.01
NTK R. Kalaiyenthiri 4,670 2.29 +2.29
MNM S. Venkatesan 3,287 1.69 +1.69
NOTA None of the Above 2,838 1.39 +1.39
Majority 27,841 13.65
Turnout 2,03,959 75.23
DMK gain from AIADMK Swing

Ambur

Bye-election, 2019: Ambur [7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DMK A. C. Vilwanathan 96,455 55.93 +55.93
AIADMK J. Jothi Ramalinga Raja 58,688 34.03
AMMK R. Balasubramani 8,856 5.14 +5.14
NTK N. Selvamani 3,127 1.81 +1.45
MNM A. Kareem Basha 1,853 1.07 +1.07
NOTA None of the Above 1,852 1.07 +0.06
Majority 37,767 21.90
Turnout 1,72,457 76.85
DMK gain from AIADMK Swing

Hosur

Bye-election, 2019: Hosur[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DMK S. A. Sathya 1,15,027 50.30 +50.30
AIADMK S. Jyothi Reddy 91,814 40.15 -1.44
MNM P. Jeyapal 8,032 3.51 +3.51
NTK M. Rajasekar 6,740 2.95 +2.95
NOTA None of the Above 4,262 1.86 +0.26
Majority 23,213 10.15 -0.52
Turnout 2,28,709 69.87 -1.34
DMK gain from AIADMK Swing +8.71

Pappireddipatti

2019 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly by-elections: Pappireddipatti[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
AIADMK A. Govindasamy 1,03,981 48.25
DMK A. Mani 85,488 39.67
AMMK D. K. Rajendran 15,283 7.09
NTK S. Sathish 3,783 1.76
MNM M. Nallathambi 2,374 1.10
Majority 18,493 8.58
Turnout 2,15,406 84.84
AIADMK hold Swing

Harur (SC)

Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly by-election, 2019-2020: Harur (SC)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DMK C. Krishnakumar
AIADMK V. Sampathkumar
AMMK R. Murugan
NTK P. Thileep
NOTA None of the Above
Majority
Turnout 1,96,524 83.32
gain from Swing

Nilakottai (SC)

Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly by-election, 2019-2020: Nilakottai (SC)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DMK C. Soundarapandian
AIADMK S. Thenmozhi
MNM C. Chinnadurai
AMMK R. Thangadurai
NTK A. Sanigilipandian
NOTA None of the Above
Majority
Turnout 1,84,089 80.31
gain from Swing

Thiruvarur

2019 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly by-elections: Thiruvarur
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DMK K. Poondi Kalaivanan 1,17,616 57.00
AIADMK R. Jeevanantham 53,045 25.71
AMMK S. Kamaraj 19,133 9.27
NTK R. Vinothini 8,144 3.95
MNM K. Arun Chidambaram 4,251 2.06
NOTA None of the Above 1,413 0.68
Majority 64,571 31.29
Turnout 2,04,935
Registered electors 2,96,159
DMK hold Swing

Thanjavur

Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly by-election, 2019-2020: Thanjavur
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DMK T. K. G. Neelamegam 1
AIADMK R. Gandhi
MNM P. Duraisamy
AMMK M. Rengasamy
NTK M. Karthi
NOTA None of the Above
Turnout
gain from Swing

Manamadurai (SC)

Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly by-election, 2019-2020: Manamadurai (SC)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DMK K. Kasilingam
AIADMK N. Sivasankari
AMMK S. Mariappan Kennady
NTK M. Shanmugapriya
NOTA None of the Above
Majority
Turnout
gain from Swing

Andipatti

Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly by-election, 2019-2020: Andipatti
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DMK A. Maharajan
AIADMK A. Logirajan
MNM G. Alagarsamy
AMMK R. Jeyakumar
NTK Aruna Devi
NOTA None of the Above
Majority
Turnout
gain from Swing

Periyakulam (SC)

Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly by-election, 2019-2020: Periyakulam (SC)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DMK S. Saravanakumar
AIADMK M. Mayilvel
MNM Prabhu
AMMK Kathirkamu
NTK Shobana
NOTA None of the Above
Majority
Turnout
gain from Swing

Sattur

Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly by-election, 2019-2020: Sattur
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DMK V. Srinivasan
AIADMK M. S. R. Rajavarman
MNM N. Sundararaj
AMMK S. G. Subramanian
NTK P. Sureshkumar
NOTA None of the Above
Majority
Turnout
gain from Swing

Paramakudi (SC)

Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly by-election, 2019-2020: Paramakudi (SC)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DMK S. Sambathkumar
AIADMK N. Sathan Prabhakar
MNM A. Shankar
AMMK Dr. S. Muthiah
NTK Hemalatha
NOTA None of the Above
Majority
Turnout
gain from Swing

Vilathikulam

Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly by-election, 2019-2020: Vilathikulam
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DMK Jeyakumar
AIADMK Chinappan
AMMK Jothimani
MNM Natarajan
Independent G. V. Markandayan
NTK M. Kalidoss
NOTA None of the Above
Majority
Turnout
gain from Swing

Aravakurichi

Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly by-election, 2019-2020: Aravakurichi
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DMK V. Senthil Balaji 97,800 56.45
AIADMK V.V Senthil Nathan 59,843 34.54
AMMK Shahul Hameed 7,195 4.15
NTK P.K.Selvam 2,227 1.29
MNM S. Mohanraj 1,361 0.79
Tamilnadu Ilangyar Katchi R Rajkumar 138 0.08
NOTA None of the Above 904 0.52
Majority 35,693 21.85
Turnout
DMK gain from AIADMK Swing

Thiruparankundram

Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly by-election, 2019-2020: Thirupparankundram
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DMK P.Saravanan 85,434 37.79
AIADMK S.Muniyandi 83,038 36.73
AMMK I.Mahendran 31,199 13.80
MNM P.Sakthivel 12,610 5.58
NTK R.Revathi 5,467 2.42
NOTA None of the Above 2,184 0.97
Majority 2,396 1.06
Turnout
DMK gain from AIADMK Swing

Ottapidaram

Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly by-election, 2019-2020: Ottapidaram
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DMK M.C.Shanmugaiya
AIADMK P.Mohan
MNM M.Gandhi (valarum thamilzhagam)
AMMK R.Sundararaj
NTK M.Ahalya
Independent
NOTA None of the Above
Majority
Turnout
gain from Swing

Sulur

Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly by-election, 2019-2020: Sulur
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
DMK Pongalur N. Palanisamy
AIADMK V.P.Kandhasamy
MNM G.Mayilsamy
AMMK K.Sukumar
NTK V.Vijaya Ragavan
Independent
NOTA None of the Above
Majority
Turnout
gain from Swing

Electoral Outcomes and Subsequent Developments

Following the by-elections, the AIADMK successfully secured 11 seats, reaffirming its position as the ruling party. This sordid victory not only solidified their grip on power but also strengthened hand of Edappadi K Palanisami within the party . Despite DMK winning 13 seats the DMK alliance could not reach the magic total of 118 and DMK stayed as the opposition party, albeit with the most MLAs in its history of the opposition parties in the state's legislature.

Out of the 18 disqualified MLAs, only former ADMK minister V.Senthil Balaji managed to reclaim his seat. However, noteworthy is his prior transition to the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in February 2019, and winning as Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam candidate.

Despite the DMK's significant success in the Lok Sabha elections and the by-elections, winning 39 out of 40 seats (39 in Tamil Nadu and one in Pondicherry), their state-level influence did not experience a substantial shift. However, these events set the stage for the political landscape leading up to the anticipated 2021 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election, when the electoral tides turned in favor of the DMK alliance, ultimately leading to DMK's return as the ruling party with a single majority.

See also

References

  1. "Crucial by-polls to four TN constituencies on May 19". The Federal. Federal. 9 April 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  2. Jesudasan, Dennis S. (9 April 2019). "ECI announces bypoll dates for remaining four T.N. Assembly seats". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  3. "Assembly Election 2019 - Election Commission of India". results.eci.gov.in. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  4. Ramakrishnan, T (17 March 2019). "AMMK releases first list of candidates for Lok Sabha elections, Assembly by-polls". The Hindu. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  5. "Form 21E (Return of Election)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  6. "Form 21E (Return of Election)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  7. "Form 21E (Return of Election)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  8. "Form 21E (Return of Election)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  9. "Form 21E (Return of Election)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 February 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.