CHENNAI: TVK candidate Maragatham Kumaravel and DMK candidate I Paranthamen on Tuesday filed their nomination papers for the bye-election to the Madurantakam (SC) Assembly constituency. The nomination filing saw a direct face-off between the two candidates, with both expressing confidence in emerging victorious.
Speaking to reporters after filing her nomination, Kumaravel, who was elected twice as an AIADMK MLA from Madurantakam, said she had joined the TVK to work for the people and not for money or post. She said she had not received even a rupee from the party and was made its deputy general secretary within two months of joining.
Explaining her decision to leave the AIADMK, Kumaravel said after the 2026 Assembly election, the party faced internal differences, including over a proposal by one faction to form government with the DMK’s support.
As the DMK had always been a political opponent of the AIADMK, she and two other MLAs – S Jayakumar and S Sathyabama – could not accept such an arrangement and eventually decided to join the TVK, she said.
Meanwhile, Paranthamen dismissed the multi-cornered nature of the contest, saying the DMK would emerge victorious regardless of the number of candidates in the fray. “There is a five-cornered contest in Madurantakam. But no matter how many cornered the contest becomes, the DMK will wear the victory garland,” he said.
Taking a swipe at the TVK, Paranthamen said even if Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay campaigns in Madurantakam, voters would “teach him a proper lesson” this time.