Chengalpattu

Polling for the Madurantakam Assembly by-poll in Tamil Nadu is today, 6 October 2026. Booths open at 7 am and close at 6 pm. Counting follows on 9 October.

Small constituency, big stakes. Madurantakam is the 35th Assembly seat. It is a Scheduled Caste reserved constituency in Chengalpattu district, under the Kancheepuram Lok Sabha seat. The seat has 2,12,639 registered electors, 1,04,496 men and 1,08,078 women, across 268 polling stations. That works out to roughly 793 voters per booth.

The contest is a straight test for TVK chief C. Joseph Vijay. Former AIADMK MLA K. Maragatham Kumaravel resigned. She crossed over to TVK and is now seeking a fresh mandate from the same seat.

Twenty-seven candidates are contesting. Here are the main ones:

• DMK: I. Paranthamen
• AIADMK: Kanitha Sampath
• NTK: K. Janaki Raman
• CPI(M): Also in the race

Why does one seat matter? TVK won 108 of Tamil Nadu's 234 seats in 2026. It needs 118 for a simple majority. A win here would not save the government. But it would certainly shape the narrative. AIADMK, meanwhile, wants its old base back after the defection.

Before you go to vote

Find your polling booth before you leave home. I always tell voters to verify first, especially if you shifted house or voted elsewhere last time.

Go to the ECI Voters' Services Portal and pick 'Search Your Name in the Voter List'. Enter your EPIC number or personal details, then submit, and your polling station address will appear along with Booth Level Officer details.

No internet? Dial the Voter Helpline on 1950 or use the Voter Helpline App.

Carry the right ID. EPIC or Voter ID is the standard. But these are also accepted:

• Aadhaar
• Passport
• Driving licence
• PAN card
• MGNREGA job card
• Bank or post office passbook with photo
• Pension document
• Health insurance smart card
• Service ID
• NPR smart card
• UDID card

A voter information slip alone will not get you in. And remember, your name must be on the electoral roll.

Madurantakam has a strong turnout record. It was about 93.36% in the 2026 Assembly election. Campaigning ended 48 hours before polling. For official results, stick to the Election Commission of India rather than unofficial live trackers.

Election flying squads have seized a total of Rs 51.10 lakh in unaccounted cash during vehicle checks and raids in the Madurantakam (SC) Assembly constituency in Chengalpattu district. The bypoll is set for October 6.

The Election Commission has stepped up checks to stop cash and gift items from being given to voters in a hidden way. Campaigning for the bypoll ends on Saturday evening.

Details of the seizures

In one recent case, flying squad officials stopped a car near Sotthupakkam Road on Friday. It was heading towards Vandavasi. Rs 4 lakh was found without valid papers. The cash was handed over to the treasury at the Madurantakam Tahsildar's office.

Earlier, a flying squad stopped a car near Ramapuram on Saturday morning. The vehicle was going from Vandavasi to Chennai. Rs 31.30 lakh was hidden inside it. Another car checked in the same area had Rs 80,000, which was also seized.

In another check on Bazaar Street in Achcharapakkam, officials seized Rs 2 lakh from a car with no supporting papers. The flying squad also searched a private lodge near Sotthupakkam. They found Rs 13 lakh on a person who could not show valid documents.

Election Commission has put 12 flying squads on duty in Madurantakam for vehicle checks during the last phase of campaigning. All seized cash has been sent to the treasury.

Madras High Court is hearing a legal case about the election affidavit of former Chief Minister M.K. Stalin. T. Sivagnanasambandan, an advocate who ran against him in the Kolathur constituency, filed the petition. He says Mr. Stalin did not disclose his position as a managing trustee of the DMK Charitable Trust.

Court petition details

The petitioner claims this missing information goes against the Representation of the People Act, 1951. He highlights a property deal in Kadambadi village, Chengalpattu, as something that should have been listed. This petition asks the Election Commission of India to look into these claims. The court plans to hear the case on July 27, 2026.