Erode East By-Elections: Seeman's NTK to Challenge DMK Following AIADMK and BJP Exit

Chennai, Jan 13 (NationPress) The leading opposition party in Tamil Nadu, AIADMK, has declared its decision not to participate in the Erode East by-election. The BJP has likewise chosen to withdraw from the contest, positioning the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) as the main contender against the DMK in the elections set for February 5.

Seeman, the Chief Coordinator and founder of NTK, confirmed on Sunday that his party would indeed run in the Erode East by-election and will reveal its candidate on January 14.

The necessity for the Erode East by-election arose following the death of senior Congress figure and sitting MLA, E.V.K.S. Elangovan. Previously held by Congress in 2021, the seat has now shifted to DMK, inciting protests among Congress supporters in the area.

The late EVKS Elangovan became the representative for Erode East after the passing of his son, former MLA Thirumagan Everaa, who died at the age of 46 from a severe heart attack.

Thirumagan Everaa secured the seat in 2021 with a margin of 8,904 votes, while Elangovan achieved a notable victory with a margin of 66,233 votes.

DMK Erode District Secretary and Minister in the Stalin administration, Muthusamy, who played a significant role in winning the seat from Congress, expressed confidence that the DMK candidate would triumph with a margin of 1.20 lakh votes.

In the meantime, NTK leader Seeman criticized the ruling DMK, stating, “As a movement, we must engage actively and not be bystanders in the democratic process. We cannot afford to be absentee players. Our candidate for the Erode East by-election will be announced on Pongal day (January 14).”

Seeman further accused the DMK of becoming “Karunanidhi’s property” and claimed that the party hides behind Periyar’s legacy while disregarding the contributions of other Tamil leaders.

“The DMK attempts to obscure the sacrifices and struggles of countless Tamils who fought for the state’s rights, language, and social justice. They are trying to reduce the entire Tamil movement to a single figure, Periyar,” he asserted.

AIADMK general secretary and Leader of Opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) also criticized the ruling DMK. In a statement, he alleged that the DMK had employed financial and coercive tactics to win the previous by-election in Erode East in 2023, where AIADMK had fielded a candidate.

EPS accused the DMK of planning to utilize similar strategies and misuse official machinery to disrupt peaceful voting in the upcoming election. As a result, the AIADMK has chosen to boycott the by-election. This marks the second instance within six months that AIADMK has opted out of a by-election, following their withdrawal from the Vikravandi bypoll in July 2024.

NTK leader Seeman supported EPS’s decision to abstain from the bypoll, asserting that the electoral process in Tamil Nadu has long been compromised. “By-elections are not being conducted democratically, and this is not a recent issue. It has been ongoing for some time now,” he stated.