Tamil Nadu byelections: 18 assembly constituencies to select their MLAs on Thursday

CHENNAI: Voters in 18 assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu will have an additional task on Thursday -- first they have to cast their votes to select their representatives in the Parliament (from their Lok Sabha constituency) and then their representative in the state assembly.

Though there are 22 vacant assembly seats, byelections are held only in 18 constituencies on Thursday. The 18 assembly constituencies are Poonamallee, Perambur, Tiruporur, Sholinghur, Gudiyatham, Ambur, Hosur, Pappireddipapatti, Harur, Nilakkottai, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, Manamadurai, Andipatti, Periyakulam, Sattur, Paramakudi and Vilathikulam.

Byelections in the remaining four constituencies -- Aravakurichi, Sulur, Ottapidaram and Thiruparankundram – will be held on May 19, in the last phase of Lok Sabha elections.

In Tiruvarur, the byelection is being held due to the death of former chief minister M Karunanidhi on August 7 last year. Thiruparankundram became vacant after the death of AIADMK MLA A K Bose.


In Sulur, the byelection was necessitated by the death of AIADMK MLA A R Kanakaraj on March 21. The Hosur constituency became vacant after AIADMK minister P Balakrishna Reddy was convicted in a case.

In all other assembly constituencies, the byelection is being held due to the disqualification of the AIADMK MLAs who showed their allegiance to TTV Dhinakaran and jailed leader V K Sasikala. Speaker P Dhanapal disqualified the 18 MLAs.

The result of the byelections will lead to interesting political developments in Tamil Nadu. After the byelections, the ruling AIADMK should get at least 118 members in the assembly to continue in power.