Counting of votes in the Madurantakam and Dharapuram Assembly bypolls began at 8 am on Friday, with the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) taking an early lead in both seats. The DMK was second and the AIADMK third in postal ballot trends.
These early positions are provisional. Postal ballots were counted first, and the EVM rounds will give a clearer picture as the day progresses.
At Madurantakam, 14 tables have been set up to count EVM votes over 21 rounds, with two tables for postal ballots. VVPAT slips will also be counted separately for verification. Police have been deployed in strength at the counting center.