The AIADMK is all set to win the bye-elections to the Nanguneri and Vikravandi Assembly seats in Tamil Nadu. V Narayanan of the AIADMK defeated Ruby R Manohar of the Congress in Nanguneri, Tirunelveli district by over 33,000 votes. While the AIADMK posted 95,360 votes, DMK's ally posted 61,913 votes. In Vikravandi, Villupuram district, R Muthamilselvan from the AIADMK won 1,13,745 votes, well over N Pugazhenthi of the DMK who managed 68,828 votes, a 44,917-vote margin.
Kandasamy K of the Naam Tamilar Katchi was at third place in Vikravandi while independent candidate Hari Nadar was at third place in Nanguneri. Polls to both constituencies were held on October 21. Nanguneri saw a 66.35% voter turnout with a 2.23 lakh electorate. In Vikravandi, voter turnout was 84.36% with an electorate of 2.57 lakh voters.
Following the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year, the AIADMK survived the challenge to its government, winning nine seats in the bye-polls while the DMK won 13 seats. With the latest bye-polls, the AIADMK's tally is now up to 125 MLAs in the 234-member House; the DMK and its allies have 108 seats in the Assembly. AMMK chief TTV Dhinakaran is the sole independent MLA in the House.
Both AMMK and actor-politician Kamal Hasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam opted out of contesting the bye-polls.
The bye-poll to the Nanguneri seat in Tirunelveli district was necessitated by H Vasanthakumar of the Congress resigning earlier this year. He was elected MP from the Kanyakumari constituency in the Lok Sabha polls. The Vikravandi seat in Villupuram district fell vacant following the death of DMK MLA K Rathamani in June this year. After three years, the Tamil Nadu Assembly will return to full strength following the latest bye-polls.