Announcing the boycott of the February 5 byelection to the Tamil Nadu assembly from Erode (East) constituency, the principal opposition AIADMK and its ally the DMDK have said the decision to opt out of the contest was taken since the ruling DMK would not allow the people to vote freely as was the case in the past bypolls.
(File Photo)
Announcing the boycott of the February 5 byelection to the Tamil Nadu assembly from Erode (East) constituency, the principal opposition AIADMK and its ally the DMDK have said the decision to opt out of the contest was taken since the ruling DMK would not allow the people to vote freely as was the case in the past bypolls.
Interestingly, the Congress which held the seat had given it to the DMK, heading the INDIA Bloc alliance in the state following a request from the senior partner. The bypoll for the seat is necessitated following the demise of Congress veteran and former Union Minister EVKS Elangovan last month. While the DMK has fielded VC Chandrakumar, the BJP is yet to decide on its nominee.
Advertisement
This is the second byelection to the seat in four years. In 2021, Thirumagan Evera of the Congress and son of Elangovan women the seat, but died due to ill health in 2023. In the bypoll, Elangovan, a grand nephew of rationalist social reformer EVR Periyar, retained the seat.
Advertisement
In that election, in which there were allegations of the DMK using money and muscle power, both the AIADMK and Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) of Seeman, lost their deposit. However, the NTK managed to keep its vote share of around 8 per cent. This time too, the NTK has decided to enter the fray and would name its candidate on January 14, the auspicious day of ‘Thai Pongal’.
This is the second time that the AIADMK is staying away from a byelection after the one in Vikravandi, which the DMK had won defeating the OBC Vanniar- dominant Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK).
The AIADMK’s decision to boycott the election was announced by party general secretary and former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) after a meeting of senior functionaries and district secretaries at the party headquarters in Chennai.
“The ruling DMK will not allow the people to vote freely. The election will not be fair and free and hence the AIADMK is boycotting it,” he said unperturbed about the adverse criticism of the party under his leadership running away from the electoral battle, coming a year ahead of the 2026 assembly poll.
DMDK general secretary Premalatha, wife of late party founder and actor Vijayakant, also echoed similar sentiments for the boycott.
Advertisement
