{
  "id": 10034567,
  "title": "Byelections in Madurantakam and Dharapuram may test AIADMK’s sway over Scheduled Caste voters",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/26/byelections-in-madurantakam-and-dharapuram-may-test-aiadmks-sway-over",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-26T18:11:48.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu",
    "slug": "the-hindu",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/byelections-in-madurantakam-and-dharapuram-may-test-aiadmks-sway-over-scheduled-caste-voters/article71513064.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) is set to field candidates in the upcoming by-elections to Madurantakam and Dharapuram Assembly constituencies, both of which are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs). The party seeks to reverse a recent decline in its support among SC voters. Following the 2016 Assembly election, where it secured the highest number of reserved seats at 32, the party's representation among SC constituencies has dwindled to eight in 2021. Two former AIADMK MLAs, K. Maragatham Kumaravel and P. Sathyabama, left the party in May after voting for the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) during a trust motion. C.K. Thamizharasan, a four-term AIADMK MLA, attributes the party's waning influence on SC voters to a lack of continuity in pro-SC policies and strategic decisions made during elections. Under the previous regime of Jayalalithaa, SC welfare measures were relaxed, but subsequent governments have made the eligibility criteria \"stringent,\" making such schemes inaccessible to SC students. M. Anandan, a TVK deputy general secretary and former Jayalalithaa-era Minister, counters this argument, stating that the DMK and AIADMK's collective rule for nearly 60 years failed to provide adequate representation to SCs, whereas TVK prioritizes SC welfare within its organizational structure. AIADMK Rajya Sabha member M. Dhanapal asserts that party leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami has continued the legacy of his predecessors in providing SC welfare, citing the rural habitation scheme and other initiatives. Within the AIADMK, Varagur A. Arunachalam, a former Minister and party headquarters secretary, and V. Sampathkumar, a Harur MLA, highlight the success of the 7.5% horizontal reservation scheme for SC students from government schools and various other welfare measures, such as the distribution of milch cows/sheep, which benefit the community. The AIADMK remains optimistic about its prospects in the upcoming by-elections, as voters seem to recognize the party's commitment to addressing SC issues.",
  "summary": "Of the 44 reserved seats in the State, the party had won 32 in 2016 Assembly elections, while it could manage only eight seats 10 years later",
  "key_points": [
    "AIADMK fields candidates in Madurantakam and Dharapuram by-elections.",
    "Party aims to regain SC voter support after decline since 2021.",
    "Former MLAs attribute influence loss to policy changes and strict eligibility criteria."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}