AIADMK to Determine Candidate for Erode East Bypoll in Upcoming Meeting
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Chennai, Jan 8 (NationPress) The AIADMK, the leading opposition party in Tamil Nadu, is set to make a decision on its participation in the Erode East by-election scheduled for February 5. This crucial determination will occur during a meeting of district secretaries on January 11 at the party's headquarters.
This by-election was called due to the unfortunate demise of the sitting MLA and prominent Congress figure, E.V.K.S. Elangovan.
Interestingly, this marks the second by-election for the Erode East constituency within a brief period. The initial one took place after the passing of MLA Thirumagan Everaa, who died at the age of 46 following a severe heart attack in January 2023. Following this, his father, E.V.K.S. Elangovan, contested and won the by-election with a substantial margin of 66,233 votes.
The DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) is keen to uphold its successful run in the upcoming by-election, aiming to reinforce its influence leading into the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. The alliance is focused on solidifying its electoral base while attempting to undermine the AIADMK.
According to sources within the AIADMK, party general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) will officially announce the party's stance on the by-election following the meeting on January 11.
Nominations for the by-election will commence that same day and will remain open until January 17.
A senior leader from the AIADMK highlighted the necessity of presenting a formidable candidate to showcase the party’s political might. He stated, “Regardless of whether Congress puts forward a candidate, the genuine competition will be with our primary rival, DMK, which is likely to dominate the constituency.”
The leader recognized that ruling parties typically have an advantage in by-elections but emphasized that the AIADMK should not concentrate solely on the results. Instead, he urged the party to engage in an aggressive campaign to challenge the DMK. He also accused the ruling party of potentially abusing government resources to achieve what he termed a “dubious victory.”
During a recent trip to Erode, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin was reportedly told by local DMK leaders that the Congress is lacking a candidate of sufficient prominence to run for the by-election. These leaders suggested that the DMK should assume control of the seat under the current circumstances. However, Tamil Nadu Congress president K. Selvaperunthugai publicly declared on January 3 that the Congress would indeed field a candidate. This announcement was not well received by DMK supporters and local leaders, who feel that the Congress lacks substantial grassroots backing in the area.
P.M. Gnapathy Sundaran, Director of the Erode-based think tank Centre for Development and Electoral Studies, commented, “The Congress does not possess grassroots strength in Erode East and has historically depended on the DMK. While EVKS Elangovan lent credibility to the Congress, the absence of a family member contesting means the DMK would be better positioned to claim the seat.”
