Erode East bypoll: DMK maintains lead against NTK

Erode (Tamil Nadu): As the counting of votes polled in the February 5 bypoll to the Erode East Assembly segment progressed on Saturday, the ruling DMK secured a lead of over 13,000 votes against actor-politician Seeman's NTK at the end of second round.

According to an official Election Commission update, DMK's V C Chandhirakumar got 15,949 votes against Naam Tamizhar Katchi's (NTK) M K Seethalakshmi, who polled 2328 votes.

The DMK nominee, an ex-MLA was ahead of his NTK rival by 13,621 votes.

A total of 17 rounds of counting is scheduled.

Earlier, the counting began at 8 am at a government college at Chithode in this district.

Postal ballots were taken up for counting first.

On Wednesday, this western TN segment had recorded a voter turn out of 67.97 per cent.

Of the 46 candidates, including 44 independents in the fray, the contest is only between Chandhirakumar and the Tamil nationalist party NTK's Seethalakshmi.

Opposition parties, including the main opposition AIADMK, have boycotted the polls.

The bypoll was necessitated due to the death of Congress MLA EVKS Elangovan last year.