Voting begins in Erode East Assembly bypoll in TN
05-Feb-2025 07:46 AM 7745
Chennai, Feb 5 (Reporter) Voting for the Erode East Assembly constituency bypoll began on Wednesday morning at 0700 hrs. Tight security arrangements were put in place as polling began in a total of 237 booths in 53 locations of which more than 10 booths were identified as vulnerable and sensitive and additional security personnel were deployed. A total of 3,000 police personnel and three companies of central para-military forces were deployed on security duty,. The fate of 46 candidates will be decided in the bypoll, the second in this constituency in two years. An estimated 2,27,576 voters in the constituency, including 1,10,128 men, 1,17,381 women and and 37 transgenders are expected to cast their ballot. A total of 246 voters over the age of 85 and people with disabilities have already cast their postal votes. Erode District Collector Raja Gopal Sunkara was among the early voters to cast their ballot. Braving chill weather, a large number of voters, turned up at the polling booths, even before the polling process started as the Met office has predicted a sunny day and hot and humid weather for the day. All basic facilities like toilets, drinking water, waiting areas, including a ramp for the differently-abled have been put in place for the benefit of voters. The counting of votes would take place on February 8. Though there are 46 candidates in the fray and with major political parties staying away from the contest, the main contest was between the ruling DMK's V C Chandrakumar and M K Seethalakshi of the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) of actor-director Seeman. The DMK was already assured of a win as the campaign turned out to be a low key affair, when compared to previous bypolls. It would be a 'dead rubber' contest and the only question is about the margin of votes the DMK would win. Unlike in the past, it was not a high decibel election which marks byelections in the state since the 90s, with the ruling party clearly having an edge. DMK Assistant Propaganda Secretary V C Chandrakumar, who had joined the party in 2016 after quitting the actor-politician Vijayakanth-led DMDK, and NTK candidate, Ms Seethalakshmi, also the party's Women's Wing Coordinator, were the main candidates, while the rest were Independents. With the major Opposition parties, including the AIADMK, its ally the DMDK, the BJP-led NDA and the the nascent Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) of actor Vijay deciding to boycott the polls alleging that going by the past experience the elections would not be held in a free and fair manner as the DMK would unleash its money power and misuse the official machinery, the bypoll will witness a straight contest between the DMK and the NTK. Though the Congress had held the seat in 2021 and 2023, it had conceded the seat to the DMK on a request from DMK President and Chief Minister M K Stalin. This followed talks the DMK had with the Congress and after reaching an unanimous decision between them keeping in mind the ensuing 2026 Assembly elections, following which Mr Stalin announced Chandrakumar as the candidate for the bypoll with the support of the allies of the DMK-led Front. According to TNCC President K Selvaperunthagai, who is also the Congress Legislature Party Leader in the State Assembly, the Congress party decided not to contest the bypoll and gave the seat to the DMK, which is heading the INDIA bloc in Tamil Nadu, on a first time request from Mr Stalin citing the ensuing 2026 Assembly polls. "On a request from Mr Stalin, who is heading the INDIA alliance bloc in the State, and after holding discussions with the Congress High Command and State party office-bearers, it was unanimously decided that the DMK would contest the bypoll", he said. The bypoll, the second in two years, was necessitated following the death of Senior Congress Leader and sitting MLA EVKS Elangovan in December last year. This is the third election to this seat since 2021 in which Mr Elangovan's son Thiru Mahan E.Ve.Ra was elected to the Assembly for the first time. However, his untimely death resulted in bypoll held on February 28, 2023 and it was won by Mr Elangovan, who is also a former Union Minister and former TNCC President, by highest ever margin of over 66,000 votes and entered the State Assembly after a gap of 39 years. However, Mr Elangovan's unfortunate death in December 2024, has resulted in yet another bypoll to the seat, which the Congress gave it to the DMK...////...
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