Synopsis
Chennai, Feb 8 (NationPress) V.C. Chandhirakumar of DMK is leading the Erode East by-election with 37,001 votes, far ahead of NTK's M.K. Seethalakshmi who has 7,668. The election holds significance for the DMK, aiming to reinforce public support amid various controversies.Key Takeaways
- DMK’s V.C. Chandhirakumar leads with 37,001 votes.
- NTK’s M.K. Seethalakshmi trails with 7,668 votes.
- Voter turnout was 67.97%, totaling 1,54,657 votes.
- The election was marked by peaceful processes despite minor tensions.
- This election is crucial for DMK’s public support.
Chennai, Feb 8 (NationPress) The ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu appears to be on the verge of a significant victory in the Erode East by-election following five rounds of vote counting.
V.C. Chandhirakumar, a prominent DMK leader and former MLA, has amassed 37,001 votes, while his competitor, M.K. Seethalakshmi from the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), is trailing with only 7,668 votes.
This puts Chandhirakumar ahead by a staggering 29,333 votes. The counting procedure involves 17 rounds conducted across 15 tables, each supervised by a counting supervisor, an assistant, and a micro observer selected randomly.
Out of 46 candidates contesting the by-election, the contest largely became a two-horse race between DMK’s Chandhirakumar and NTK’s Seethalakshmi. The constituency witnessed a voter turnout of 67.97 percent, with a total of 1,54,657 votes cast.
Notably, the AIADMK, BJP, DMDK, and the newly-formed political party of Tamil superstar Vijay, TVK, chose not to participate in the elections.
NTK, under the leadership of Seeman, directed its campaign towards vehement critiques of E.V. Ramasamy ‘Periyar’, the founder of Dravidar Kazhagam, alongside attacking the DMK government. Conversely, the DMK emphasized its achievements in its campaign.
While the election process was mostly peaceful, tensions arose between NTK and Thanthai Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam (TPDK) supporters, leading to police filing multiple cases against Seeman, NTK candidate Seethalakshmi, and several party members for breaches of campaign regulations, road blockades, and assaults on TPDK members.
This by-election is pivotal for the DMK government, which faces scrutiny over recent issues, including the Anna University sexual assault incident and law and order concerns in Tamil Nadu. The DMK viewed this election as a crucial chance to bolster public support, despite the absence of candidates from AIADMK and BJP.
The need for this by-election arose following the death of veteran Congress leader E.V.K.S. Elangovan, who had previously won the seat in the 2023 by-election after the sudden passing of his son, Thirumahan Everaa, from a heart attack on January 4, 2023. In that election, Elangovan achieved a remarkable victory with a margin of 66,233 votes over AIADMK’s K.S. Thenarassu, while NTK candidate Menaka Navaneethan garnered 10,827 votes.
