CM Stalin favours DMK contesting Erode East bypolls, likely to take seat from Cong

Chennai, Dec 22 With the Election Commission of India declaring the Erode East Assembly seat vacant following the demise of veteran Congress leader E.V.K.S Elangovan, political parties have commenced preparations for the by-election.

Sources in the DMK revealed that the party president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who was in Erode district on two days -- December 19 and December 20 -- met senior party functionaries in the district to gather their views on the candidate for the Erode East bypolls.

The late EVKS Elangovan had become the MLA of Erode East after his son and former MLA, Thirumagan Everaa, passed away at the age of 46 due to a massive heart attack.

According to DMK insiders, Erode South district secretary and Tamil Nadu Minister S. Muthusamy informed CM Stalin that after EVKS Elangovan and his family, there is no prominent Congress leader in Erode to contest the seat.

Muthusamy also conveyed to CM Stalin that party cadres are keen on DMK taking over the seat. During his visit to Erode on December 19, Chief Minister Stalin directed party functionaries to strengthen DMK in constituencies perceived as weak in the district to secure victory in the 2026 Assembly elections.

On December 19, CM Stalin chaired a meeting with senior DMK members, inviting key functionaries from across the district. Entry to the meeting hall was restricted to individuals carrying invitation letters sent from the DMK headquarters.

During the meeting, CM Stalin reviewed the DMK’s performance in Erode during the 2021 Assembly election and urged party leaders to work relentlessly to capture constituencies lost to AIADMK.

Specific constituencies discussed included Perundurai, which DMK failed to win, and Anthiyur, which the party won by a narrow margin of 1,275 votes.

The defeat of the DMK ally CPI in the Bhavanisagar constituency was also deliberated. Sources added that CM Stalin instructed functionaries to prioritise addressing people’s problems and strengthen the party’s presence in weak constituencies.

A special committee will be formed to study ways to secure victory in Erode’s vulnerable constituencies.

It is noteworthy that the DMK has set an ambitious goal of winning 200 of the 234 Assembly seats in the 2026 elections.

Currently, in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, the DMK holds 133 seats, with allies Congress (18), VCK (4), CPI (2), and CPI(M) (2), bringing the total to 159 seats.

The DMK-led alliance achieved an impressive vote share of 45.38 per cent in the previous elections.

The DMK has already appointed full-time coordinators for each Assembly constituency, with senior leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister and party youth wing leader Udhayanidhi Stalin and organising secretary R.S. Bharathy, monitoring their activities.

Source: IANS