As part of the preparatory measures for the by-elections to five Assembly seats that fell vacant following the resignation of members elected to the House in the 2026 elections, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Archana Patnaik wrote to the respective District Collectors seeking details of Returning Officers (ROs) and Assistant Returning Officers (AROs) for those Assembly segments.
Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam president and Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, who was elected from both Perambur and Tiruchi East, resigned from the latter seat on May 10. While three AIADMK rebel MLAs — S. Jayakumar of Perundurai, Maragatham Kumaravel of Madurantakam (SC), and P. Sathyabama of Dharapuram (SC) — resigned their Assembly memberships on May 25, another rebel MLA of the party, Esaki Subaya of Ambasamudram, vacated his seat the next day. All four of them crossed over to the ruling TVK.
Following these resignations, all five seats were declared vacant by the Legislative Assembly Secretariat. Against this backdrop, the CEO wrote to the District Collectors of Chengalpattu, Tiruchi, Erode, Tiruppur, and Tirunelveli districts, under which these five Assembly segments fall, seeking details such as the names and particulars of the notified ROs and AROs, details of police officers, the total number of electors, and other relevant information related to the conduct of elections.
As the Election Commission ECI may announce by-elections to these seats within six months from the date of occurrence of the vacancies, as per the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the CEO’s communication to the respective District Collectors was intended to initiate preparatory measures.
Published – June 11, 2026 12:19 am IST
