V.C. Chandhirakumar Sworn In After Dominant Erode East By-Election Win
Click to start listening
Synopsis
On February 10, V.C. Chandhirakumar was sworn in as a legislator following his landslide victory in the Erode East by-election, winning by a margin of 90,629 votes. The ceremony was attended by key political leaders, and Chandhirakumar dedicated his success to Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, forecasting another DMK triumph in the upcoming 2026 Assembly elections.
Key Takeaways
- V.C. Chandhirakumar won the Erode East by-election by 90,629 votes.
- The ceremony was attended by notable political leaders.
- Chandhirakumar dedicated his victory to M.K. Stalin.
- He predicts another DMK victory in the 2026 elections.
- Voter turnout was recorded at 67.97%.
Chennai, Feb 10 (NationPress) Senior DMK figure V.C. Chandhirakumar, who achieved a resounding victory in the Erode East by-election with a staggering margin of 90,629 votes, was sworn in as a legislator on Monday.
The oath was administered by Tamil Nadu Assembly speaker M. Appavu in his chamber at the Assembly secretariat. Among those present at the ceremony were Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, State Irrigation Minister Duraimurugan, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, VCK leader Thol. Thirumavalavan, and Tamil Nadu Congress Committee President K. Selvaperunthagai.
The Erode East by-election, which took place on February 5, featured 46 candidates. Contesting on a DMK ticket, Chandhirakumar garnered an overwhelming 114,439 votes, while his closest opponent, M.K. Seethalakshmi, could only secure 23,810 votes. Notably, the NTK candidate performed poorly, failing to retain her election deposit.
Interestingly, NOTA (None of the Above) received 6,000 votes, marking it as the third-highest in votes cast.
From the initial round of counting, Chandhirakumar maintained a dominant lead, rendering the election a one-sided affair.
In the aftermath of his victory, Chandhirakumar expressed his gratitude to Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, dedicating his win to him. He emphasized that the DMK candidate had obtained more than 75 percent of the total votes and deemed the landslide victory a precursor to the 2026 Assembly elections, predicting another significant win for the DMK.
Chandhirakumar also acknowledged S. Muthusamy, the local minister, for spearheading the election campaign promptly after the DMK announced its candidate.
The Erode East constituency saw a voter turnout of 67.97 percent, with 154,657 individuals casting their votes. The by-election was necessitated due to 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 significant victory with a margin of 66,233 votes, defeating AIADMK’s K.S. Thenarassu. At that time, NTK’s candidate, Menaka Navaneethan, received 10,827 votes. The overall voter turnout for that election was recorded at 65 percent, as per the Election Commission.
Notably, the AIADMK, BJP, DMDK, and Tamil superstar Vijay’s newly formed political party, TVK, did not contest in this election. The NTK, headed by Seeman, based its campaign on harsh critiques of Dravidar Kazhagam founder E.V. Ramasamy ‘Periyar’ while also targeting the DMK government.
Conversely, the DMK's campaign aimed to highlight the achievements of the state government. Although the election process was largely peaceful, tensions rose between NTK and Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam (TPDK).
This by-election occurred at a pivotal moment for the DMK government, which has been under scrutiny due to recent controversies, including the Anna University sexual assault case and rising concerns regarding law and order in Tamil Nadu.
Determined to bolster public support, the DMK took this election seriously, despite the absence of candidates from AIADMK and BJP.
