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Elections and by-elections

Which Tamil Nadu Assembly seats are still vacant, and when will the by-elections be held?

Short answer

Five Tamil Nadu Assembly seats are still vacant: Tiruchirappalli East, Perundurai, Ambasamudram, Viralimalai, Karur. No by-election date has been announced. The Madras High Court's bar on notifying them stands; it reserved its orders on 1 October 2026. The six-month limit of Section 151A runs out between 10 November 2026 and 29 December 2026.

Checked 11 October 2026. Seats, vacancy dates and six-month dates against data/by_polls.json; court positions against the press reports listed under Sources.

Key line: the by-elections have no date, and the earliest legal deadline is 10 November 2026; the date now depends on the High Court's reserved order and on the Election Commission.

At a glance

Seat by seat, earliest deadline first

The seven seats fell vacant between 10 May 2026 and 29 June 2026; Madurantakam and Dharapuram voted on 6 October 2026. The seat-by-seat table of all seven is on the by-polls hub and the reason only two voted is on this page; this page covers the seats that are still empty.

Tiruchirappalli East: six months end 10 November 2026Petition pending
  • Vacant from 10 May 2026: C. Joseph Vijay gave up the seat, having won two
  • Six months end 10 November 2026 (Section 151A).
  • Dr Inigo S. Irudayaraj, the DMK runner-up, filed an election petition against Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay's April 2026 win here (reported 16 June 2026), alleging suppression of information and corrupt practices and asking to be declared elected. The PIL argued that a by-election while such a petition is pending could leave two claimants to one seat.
  • The seat stays under the bar while the petition is pending. This is also the seat whose six-month date falls first.

Sources: LiveLaw, 16 June 2026; LiveLaw, 10 July 2026. Tiruchirappalli East seat page

Perundurai: six months end 25 November 2026Petition dismissed
  • Vacant from 25 May 2026: S. Jayakumar (AIADMK) resigned
  • Six months end 25 November 2026 (Section 151A).
  • The election petition against S. Jayakumar's April 2026 win, filed by Thoppu N. D. Venkatachalam, was dismissed by Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy on 8 September 2026 for disclosing no cause of action.
  • Reports of 2 October 2026 say the High Court has cleared the way for a by-election here and that the Election Commission intends to hold it if the First Bench leaves the seat out of its bar and the Supreme Court does not stay it. We found no report of an appeal against the dismissal.

Sources: DT Next, 8 September 2026; Deccan Chronicle, 9 September 2026; UNI, 2 October 2026. Perundurai seat page

Ambasamudram: six months end 26 November 2026Petition narrowed
  • Vacant from 26 May 2026: Dr. Esakki Subaya (AIADMK) resigned
  • Six months end 26 November 2026 (Section 151A).
  • On a voter's election petition against Dr Esakki Subaya's April 2026 win, Justice P. B. Balaji refused to reject the petition but struck out the prayer to declare the runner-up elected (OA 866 of 2026 in ELP 2 of 2026, reported 2 October 2026). The petition can still go to trial; LiveLaw reports that the narrowing clears the way for a by-election.
  • The Election Commission has said it intends to hold the poll here if the First Bench leaves the seat out of its bar and the Supreme Court does not stay it (UNI, 2 October 2026).

Sources: LiveLaw, 2 October 2026; DT Next, 2 October 2026; UNI, 2 October 2026. Ambasamudram seat page

Viralimalai: six months end 16 December 2026Petition pending
  • Vacant from 16 June 2026: Dr. C. Vijayabaskar (AIADMK) resigned
  • Six months end 16 December 2026 (Section 151A).
  • An election petition against Dr C. Vijayabaskar's April 2026 win is reported as pending in the Madras High Court. We found no report naming the petitioner or a hearing date.
  • The seat stays under the bar while the petition is pending.

Sources: ETV Bharat, 8 September 2026. Viralimalai seat page

Karur: six months end 29 December 2026Petition pending
  • Vacant from 29 June 2026: M. R. Vijayabhaskar (AIADMK) resigned
  • Six months end 29 December 2026 (Section 151A).
  • The petitioner against M. R. Vijayabhaskar's April 2026 win, TVK's V. P. Mathiyalagan, told Justice N. Senthilkumar on 18 July 2026 that he had decided to withdraw; the judge asked for a formal application. We found no report of an order permitting the withdrawal.
  • Until the court allows the withdrawal, the petition is still pending and the First Bench's bar covers the seat.

Sources: DT Next, 18 July 2026. Karur seat page

When will the by-elections be held?

  • No date yet. No schedule for any of these seats had been reported when we checked on 11 October 2026. The Election Commission of India publishes by-election schedules on eci.gov.in.
  • The legal limit. Section 151A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 asks for a vacancy to be filled within six months. It excuses the Commission only if the rest of the member's term is under a year (the Assembly's term runs to 10 May 2031, so that does not apply) or if the Commission, after consulting the Centre, certifies that it is difficult. A court order is not one of the two grounds.
  • The Commission's stand. On 24 August 2026 it told the High Court that it was not proposing to hold by-elections in the five seats while election petitions are pending, relying on the Supreme Court's ruling in D. Sanjeevayya v Election Tribunal that it need not hold one forthwith in such a case (LiveLaw).
  • Lead time. For the by-elections in Madurantakam and Dharapuram, notification came on 9 September 2026, polling on 6 October 2026 and counting on 9 October 2026: about four weeks from notification to polling.

What happens if a date passes while a court bar stands is a legal question we cannot answer. Court reports: LiveLaw, 10 July 2026; LiveLaw, 24 August 2026; UNI, 1 October 2026.

What happens next

  1. The First Bench pronounces its reserved order on the public interest petition. No date has been reported.
  2. If it leaves a seat out of the bar, the Election Commission can notify that seat. Reports say it wants to start with Perundurai and Ambasamudram.
  3. For seats still under the bar, a by-election waits until the election petition is decided or withdrawn.
  4. When a schedule is published, the seat pages and the by-polls hub will carry it.

Common questions

When will the Perundurai and Ambasamudram by-elections be held?

No date has been announced (checked 11 October 2026). Reports of 2 October 2026 say the High Court cleared the way in both seats (Perundurai's petition was dismissed; Ambasamudram's was narrowed), but its bar on notifying by-elections in five seats stands until the First Bench, which reserved its orders on 1 October 2026, rules. The Commission has said it intends to hold both polls if the Bench leaves them out of the bar and the Supreme Court does not stay them. The six-month limit ends on 25 November 2026 for Perundurai and 26 November 2026 for Ambasamudram.

Why have the by-elections in these seats not been held?

On 10 July 2026 the Madras High Court barred the Election Commission from notifying them while election petitions against the April 2026 winners were pending, because a by-election could leave two people with a claim to one seat. Madurantakam and Dharapuram had no such petition and voted on 6 October 2026.

Can a vacant Assembly seat stay empty for more than six months?

The Act asks for a by-election within six months and excuses the Commission only if under a year of the term remains or it certifies, after consulting the Centre, that it is difficult. The Commission has argued in court that it need not hold one forthwith while an election petition is pending.

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Sources

Page updated 11 October 2026

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