Erode East By-Election: Discontent Among TN Congress Leaders Over Seat Cession
Click to start listening
Chennai, Jan 12 (NationPress) Local Congress leaders in Tamil Nadu are expressing their discontent following the state leadership's decision to cede the Erode East Assembly seat to the DMK, allowing them to contest the by-election scheduled for February 5.
This by-election was prompted by the demise of E.V.K.S. Elangovan, a former president of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) and the sitting MLA of Erode East.
The Erode East seat, which was allocated to the Congress during the 2021 Assembly elections, is of great sentimental significance to the party, as Elangovan was a prominent leader and the grandnephew of the Dravidian movement's founder, Periyar E.V. Ramasamy.
R. Muthukrishnan, a local Congress office-bearer, remarked that the decision to hand over the seat to the DMK has left local leaders and party members disheartened.
“This seat is crucial for the Congress, and the choice to relinquish it has dashed our hopes of retaining it in the upcoming 2026 Assembly elections,” he expressed.
In the 2021 elections, the Congress was assigned 25 seats within the DMK-led coalition and secured victory in 18, including Erode East. This win was significant as it marked the first time the DMK alliance triumphed in this constituency, which was established in 2008 and first contested in 2011.
Previously, the DMK had contested Erode East during the 2011 and 2016 Assembly elections but was unsuccessful. In 2021, the seat was given to the Congress, and Thirumagan Everaa, the son of Elangovan, won by a margin of 8,904 votes.
Tragically, Thirumagan passed away on January 4, 2023, due to a severe heart attack, necessitating a by-election. Elangovan then contested the subsequent by-election and achieved a remarkable victory with a margin of 66,203 votes.
K.N. Basha, Vice President of the Congress Minority Wing in Erode, stated that since the seat was allocated to the Congress in 2021, the party should justly contest the by-election.
“It will be challenging for the Congress to reclaim this seat in future elections if we yield it now,” he cautioned.
Erode District Congress President T. Thiruselvam explained that the state leadership likely transferred the seat to the DMK due to anticipated strong competition in the by-election. However, this decision has led to considerable frustration among party members and supporters.
