Three parties — the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, currently in government, alongside the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam — are contesting the October 6 by-election in Dharapuram Assembly constituency, where the electorate numbers 2.23 lakh. K.M. Ramasamy, who has spent many years farming in the constituency, offered the view that whichever party prevails, the contest's dynamics would likely leave their mark on the result.

Three women — P. Sathyabama, S. Suganya, and K. Bhanumathi — entered the electoral contest carrying different party affiliations. Bhanumathi moved to TVK after previously standing under the DMK banner, while Sathyabama represented the AIADMK and Suganya represented the TVK. From the Communist Party of India, P. Lakshmanan carries the Left alliance's nomination, while the Naam Tamilar Katchi has put forward M. Karthika as its candidate.

All three party heads are reaching out to voters in the final stretch of campaigning. Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay — who had already toured the constituency once — was scheduled to return for another visit on October 4. On Friday, roadshows drew M.K. Stalin of the DMK and Edappadi K. Palaniswami of the AIADMK into separate campaign trails across the region, with Palaniswami having made two trips to the area.

Each of the three parties deployed a number of their senior members to handle campaign-related duties. Revenue Minister K.A. Sengottaiyan has taken on a front-facing role in driving the TVK's electoral push. Both the DMK and the AIADMK placed that responsibility in the hands of former ministers, among them Vellakoil M.P. Saminathan and Thangam Thennarasu representing the DMK, alongside Pollachi V. Jayaraman and Dindigul C. Sreenivasan from the AIADMK.

Compared with the TVK and DMK offices along Dharapuram town's main road, which draw steady foot traffic and activity, the AIADMK's local office maintains a quieter, less occupied presence.

Estimates place the Kongu Vellala Gounder community at roughly 42% of Dharapuram's population, with Scheduled Castes — for whom the constituency has carried a reserved designation dating back to 1967 — accounting for around 32%. Among other community groups, Chettiars and Nadars each held a 3.7% portion of the population, with Muslims at 4% and Christians at 1.8%.

TVK, a party that entered the political arena relatively recently, holds the governing position and has drawn backing from various voter groups, with women appearing to form a notably supportive base. Certain party volunteers noted that a different candidate in place of Ms. Sathyabama might have removed the need for Mr. Vijay to take part in the campaign directly. Party officials acknowledged that the candidate encountered pushback from residents in certain villages over her choice to stand again so soon, with opponents viewing the rationale behind her bid as unconvincing.

Keerthana, a homemaker from Manakadavu village, expressed the view that the ruling party warrants more time to deliver on its agenda, adding that the charge of unfulfilled electoral commitments loses weight when previous administrations are considered, each having taken considerable time before acting on their own pledges.

The DMK, which held the seat through the 2021–26 term, now finds itself running largely without coalition support, as a number of its former partners have shifted their backing to the TVK. Among the parties contesting the area, the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) stands apart — its general secretary Premallatha Vijayakant having visited the constituency within the past few days.

A DMK party spokesperson identified as I.P. Senthilkumar stated that the party is leaving nothing to chance, with cadres said to be mobilising at a heightened pace following the setback the party faced at the general election. Senthilkumar, who has held a legislative seat on three separate occasions, is the son of I. Periyasamy, a prominent figure representing the DMK's presence in Dindigul district.

Voter surveys from across the constituency point to the AIADMK retaining a firm grassroots presence, even as outside observers have tended to underestimate the party's standing. One local mechanical engineer noted that the DMK has historically drawn more support from city dwellers, while the AIADMK has tended to hold greater sway in rural communities.

Ramasamy, who works the land as a farmer, contended that the ruling party's expansion has drawn heavily from the AIADMK's voter base — a dynamic the DMK believes positions it favourably. TVK's arrival has altered the existing political balance.

Jayaraman, who previously served as a minister, contended that supporters who backed the TVK at the general election were now questioning whether the party had followed through on its commitments. He also asserted that the AIADMK stood as the most viable option against the DMK and that voters would therefore return the party's candidate.

N. Natarajan, a farmer from near Dasanaickenpatti village, expressed the view that whichever party secured the seat, the incoming representative ought to address the persistent water shortage affecting the constituency, where agricultural land depends largely on rainfall. Natarajan said he had put forward a groundwater recharge proposal to Sengottaiyan.

Ramasamy stated that those working the land have had to purchase water for agricultural use, livestock, and poultry. Over the preceding three to four months, just ₹5,000 had been paid for 24,000 litres of water — a period during which the Southwest monsoon had failed to deliver. An announcement on the outcome is scheduled for 9 October.