Chennai, Feb 3 With the election campaign for the Erode East bypoll ending on Monday, the ruling DMK, which has taken over the seat from its coalition partner Congress, is confident of a massive victory.
The bypoll will be held on February 5 and counting of votes will be held on February 8.
DMK Erode district secretary and Tamil Nadu Urban Development and Housing Minister S. Muthusamy led the party’s campaign alongside local MP Prakash, conducting door-to-door outreach to voters.
Speaking to reporters, Muthusamy expressed confidence that the DMK candidate for the Erode East bye-election would win by a margin of 1.2 lakh votes. The ruling party’s candidate, former MLA V.C. Chandhirakumar, is contesting against M.K. Seethalakshmi, the women’s wing leader of Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), after the principal Opposition parties, AIADMK and BJP, boycotted the polls.
The Erode East bypoll was necessitated by the passing of veteran Congress leader EVKS Elangovan. He had won the seat in the 2023 bye-election following the sudden demise of his son, Thirumahan Everaa, due to a heart attack on January 4, 2023.
In the 2023 bypoll, Elangovan secured victory with a margin of 66,233 votes, defeating AIADMK candidate K.S. Thenarassu.
Meanwhile, NTK’s candidate in that election, Menaka Navaneethan, managed to secure only 10,827 votes.
Despite AIADMK and BJP withdrawing from the election, sources within DMK told IANS that the party has treated the contest seriously.
DMK youth wing leader and Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin spearheaded the party’s campaign for V.C. Chandhirakumar.
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin also directed the party leadership to ensure a decisive victory with a significant majority.
Senior DMK leader and party organising secretary R.S. Bharathi dismissed speculation that the party was taking the election lightly due to the perceived weakness of its opponent.
Instead, he emphasised that the DMK had campaigned aggressively to secure a landslide victory.
Other senior leaders, including State PWD Minister EV Velu, were also actively involved in the campaign.
After recent controversies, including the Anna University sexual assault case and criticisms over law and order in Tamil Nadu, the DMK is keen to reinforce the narrative that public support remains firmly behind the party.
An opinion poll conducted by ‘People Studies’ has projected a clear victory for the DMK in the bypoll, scheduled for February 5.
The survey, conducted among 1,470 respondents in the constituency between January 28 and 31, revealed the following voter preferences with 59.5 per cent of respondents indicating they would vote for the DMK. 17.6 per cent stated they did not wish to vote while 16.7 per cent said they would support the NTK.
With the campaign ending today, the DMK remains confident of securing a resounding win in Erode East bypolls.
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