Chennai: After 14 rounds of counting for the Erode East by-election, Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK candidate and former MLA V.C. Chandhirakumar established a significant lead of 76,186 votes over his nearest rival, M.K. Seethalakshmi of the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK).
So far, Chandhirakumar has secured 96,583 votes, while Seethalakshmi has managed only 20,397 votes.
Speaking to the media, DMK’s Tamil Nadu state Organising Secretary R.S. Bharathi stated that the party candidate was heading for a record-breaking victory.
He attributed the massive lead to the people-centric welfare programmes initiated by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin since the DMK took office in 2021, stating that these initiatives have strengthened the party’s connection with the people.
The counting process consists of 17 rounds across 15 tables. Each table has a counting supervisor, a counting assistant, and a micro observer, all of whom were assigned through a random selection process.
While 46 candidates, including Independents, contested the by-election, the race primarily turned into a two-way battle between DMK’s Chandhirakumar and NTK’s Seethalakshmi. The constituency recorded a voter turnout of 67.97 per cent, with 1,54,657 people casting their votes.
The AIADMK, the BJP, the DMDK, and Tamil superstar Vijay’s newly-formed political outfit, TVK, did not contest the elections.
The NTK, led by Seeman, focused its campaign on harsh criticism of Dravidar Kazhagam founder E.V. Ramasamy ‘Periyar’, alongside attacks on the DMK government. In contrast, the DMK centred its campaign on highlighting the achievements of the state government.
While the election process remained largely peaceful, tensions escalated between NTK and Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam (TPDK) cadres. Following an altercation, police registered multiple cases against Seeman, NTK candidate Seethalakshmi, and several party workers for violating campaign curfews, blocking roads, and assaulting TPDK members.
This by-election came at a critical time for the DMK government, which has been under scrutiny due to recent controversies, including the Anna University sexual assault case and concerns over law and order in Tamil Nadu. Determined to use this election as an opportunity to reinforce public support, the DMK approached the contest seriously, despite the absence of the AIADMK and the BJP candidates.
This by-election was necessitated by the passing of veteran Congress leader E.V.K.S. Elangovan, who had won the seat in the 2023 by-election following the untimely demise of his son, Thirumahan Everaa, due to a heart attack on January 4, 2023. In the 2023 by-election, Elangovan secured a massive victory with a margin of 66,233 votes, defeating AIADMK’s K.S. Thenarassu, while NTK candidate Menaka Navaneethan managed to secure 10,827 votes.
(IANS)
