Chennai, Jan 20, 2025, IANS

Chennai, Jan 20 (IANS) With the Erode East by-election scheduled for February 5, the DMK is going all out to secure a significant victory margin. The bypoll was necessitated after the passing of veteran Congress leader E.V.K.S. Elangovan, who had become an MLA after the death of his son, Thirumahan Everaa, due to a sudden heart attack on January 4, 2023. In the 2023 by-election, Elangovan defeated AIADMK candidate K.S. Thenarassu by a margin of 66,233 votes. However, this time around, the AIADMK and BJP have opted not to contest the election. The DMK has fielded its leader and propaganda committee state joint secretary, V.C. Chandhirakumar, against Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) candidate K. Seethalakshmi. It is worth noting that in the 2023 by-election, NTK’s candidate, Menaka Navaneethan, managed to secure only 10,827 votes. Despite the absence of strong opponents like the AIADMK and BJP, the DMK is leaving no stone unturned in its campaign to ensure a resounding victory. DMK youth wing leader and Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin was spearheading the election campaign in Erode East. Meanwhile, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin instructed the party leadership to focus on winning the seat with a substantial margin. Senior DMK leader and party organising secretary R.S. Bharathi emphasised that the party is taking the election seriously, dismissing claims that the DMK might relax its efforts due to weak opposition. DMK Erode district secretary and local minister S. Muthusamy was leading the on-ground campaign in the urban constituency. He, along with local district and division secretaries and MP Prakash, has been conducting door-to-door campaigns with the candidate, V.C. Chandhirakumar. Within a week of announcing their candidate, the local DMK unit has covered 10 of the 30-plus wards in the constituency, which is entirely urban. Senior DMK leader and state PWD minister E.V. Velu will visit the constituency later in the day to assess the situation. The DMK sees this by-election as an opportunity to reinforce its support base, especially following controversies such as the Anna University sexual assault case and allegations of declining law and order in Tamil Nadu. While Chief Minister Stalin’s participation in the campaign remains unconfirmed, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, along with other senior ministers, is expected to lead the charge. The Vikravandi by-election, which was retained successfully under Udhayanidhi Stalin’s leadership, provided confidence to the party in securing Erode East with a thumping majority. R.S. Bharathi reiterated, “We will not take this bypoll lightly.”