Chennai, Feb 6 (IANS) The ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu is confident of securing a massive victory in the Erode East bye-election, with its candidate, senior party leader and former MLA V.C. Chandhirakumar, expected to win by a significant margin. The Election Commission has reported a voter turnout of 65 per cent in the bye-election.
S. Muthusamy, the Erode South district secretary of the DMK and Tamil Nadu’s Urban Development Minister, told media persons that Chandhirakumar is likely to win by approximately 1.25 lakh votes.
Muthusamy, who was in charge of the election campaign, had previously predicted a comfortable win for the party.
The bye-election was necessitated by the passing of veteran Congress leader EVKS Elangovan, who won the seat in the 2023 bypoll following the sudden demise of his son, Thirumahan Everaa, due to a heart attack on January 4, 2023.
In the 2023 bye-election, Elangovan secured a decisive victory with a margin of 66,233 votes, defeating AIADMK’s K.S. Thenarassu.
Meanwhile, Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) candidate Menaka Navaneethan managed to secure only 10,827 votes.
The bypoll for Erode East was conducted on February 5, with DMK’s Chandhirakumar facing NTK candidate M.K. Seethalakshmi.
The Election Commission reported a voter turnout of 65 per cent.
Notably, the principal Opposition party, AIADMK, along with BJP, DMDK, and Tamil superstar Vijay’s newly-launched political outfit, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), opted out of the contest.
Despite their absence, the election saw 46 candidates, including several independents, vying for the seat.
NTK, under the leadership of Seeman, centered its campaign on sharp criticism of Dravidar Kazhagam founder E.V. Ramasamy ‘Periyar’ and took a confrontational stance against the DMK government.
In contrast, DMK focussed on highlighting its governance achievements to solidify voter confidence.
While the election campaign remained largely peaceful, tensions flared on Sunday between NTK and Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam (TPDK) cadres.
The altercation led to multiple police cases against Seeman, Seethalakshmi, and several party workers for violating campaign curfews, blocking roads, and assaulting TPDK members.
This bye-election holds significant importance for the DMK government, which has been under scrutiny over various controversies, including the Anna University sexual assault case and concerns about law and order in Tamil Nadu.
With polling completed smoothly, all eyes are now on the vote count scheduled for February 8, which will determine the next representative of Erode East.
–IANS
aal/rad