It is the by-polls to 18 Assembly seats that the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and its rival Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) are shifting their focus to.
The Election Commission has declared the by-polls to 18 Assembly seats of the 21 vacant in Tamil Nadu on April 18, along with those to the Lok Sabha.
For the AIADMK, which joined the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, the by-polls will be crucial because the results will determine the continuity of the Edappadi K Palaniswami-led government in the state.
Three constituencies are not going to the by-polls because of cases pending