Dharapuram by-election: Postal voting begins for police personnel

Postal voting for the Dharapuram Assembly by-election began for police personnel. The bypoll, necessitated by Sathyabama's resignation from AIADMK to join TVK, pits her against AIADMK's K Bhanumathi. Vote counting is scheduled for October 9.

Postal voting for police personnel began at the Dharapuram Revenue Divisional Officer’s (RDO) office in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruppur district on Saturday, ahead of the Dharapuram Assembly constituency by-election scheduled for October 6. The postal voting process began at around 10 am and will continue until 5:30 pm. A total of 195 police personnel residing in the Dharapuram Assembly constituency are eligible to cast their votes through postal ballots, of whom 50 have cast their votes so far. Police personnel from areas including Gundadam, Suriyanallur, Dharapuram town, Kondarasanpalayam and Vengipalayam are participating in the postal voting process.

The counting of votes for the by-election will take place on October 9 at the counting centre set up at the LRG Government Arts and Science College campus near the Tiruppur District Collectorate. The Dharapuram by-election is being held along with the Madurantakam Assembly constituency bypoll in Tamil Nadu.

Political Backdrop of the Bypoll

Earlier in May, following an election loss, three AIADMK MLAs -- Maragatham Kumaravel, Sathyabama and Jayakumar -- tendered their resignations to Assembly Speaker JCD Prabakaran at the Tamil Nadu Secretariat. The three MLAs subsequently joined the ruling TVK.

For the Dharapuram bypoll, the AIADMK has fielded K Bhanumathi against Sathyabama, who is contesting on a TVK ticket.

Palaniswami Questions Sathyabama's Candidature

On Friday, addressing a campaign rally in support of AIADMK candidate Bhanumathi in Dharapuram, Palaniswami questioned the circumstances surrounding Sathyabama's resignation from the AIADMK and her subsequent candidature after joining the TVK. Palaniswami argued that Sathyabama had secured the mandate of voters while contesting under the AIADMK's two-leaf symbol and questioned the political propriety of her switching parties before seeking a fresh mandate. He further alleged that Vijay was attempting to strengthen the TVK by bringing elected representatives who had won on AIADMK tickets into his party. (ANI)

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