Erode (east) by-poll: AIADMK to boycott; DMK announces candidate

Chennai: Tamil Nadu’s principal Opposition party, AIADMK, on Saturday decided to boycott the by-polls to Erode (east) assembly constituency to be held on February 5 alleging that the elections won’t be held in a “free and fair” manner without rampant use of money power under the DMK dispensation.

The decision by the AIADMK came hours after the ruling DMK declared former MLA V C Chandrakumar as its candidate for the by-election following the Congress ceding the seat, heeding to a request from Chief Minister M K Stalin. Chandrakumar joined the DMK in 2016 after quitting actor Vijayakanth’s DMDK in whose ticket he was elected in 2011.

The by-election was necessitated due to the death of Congress legislator E V K S Elangovan in December 2024 – the DMK wanted to contest the polls keeping in mind the 2026 assembly polls and requested its ally to consider the request. This is the second time that the constituency is facing a by-poll in two years as Elangovan contested from the seat after the death of his son, Thirumahan Eevera in January 2023.

AIADMK’s decision to boycott the by-poll isn’t surprising as the party took the same stand when Vikravandi went to a snap poll immediately after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. It remains to be seen whether the BJP, which projects itself as the third or alternative force in Tamil Nadu, will contest the by-polls to assert its position, especially with the AIADMK’s boycott, takes a stand similar to that of its former ally.

If the BJP too follows the AIADMK’s style, the election will become a mere formality with the DMK being pitted against Naam Tamizhar Katchi (NTK), a Tamil nationalist outfit, which has decided to field its candidate and independents.

“Since we are certain that the DMK ministers and cadres will misuse their positions and unleash violence through rampant use of money power, disallowing people to exercise their will and freedom, we have decided to boycott the by-polls to Erode (east),” Palaniswami said in a statement after a meeting with district secretaries.

The Leader of Opposition also alleged that the DMK distributed money, liquor, anklets, and gold coins to induce voters during the January 2023 by-polls which instilled a sense of fear among the people. AIADMK might have also thought of saving its financial and human resources for the 2026 elections instead of utilizing them for a by-poll.

Not contesting in Erode, which neighbours AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami’s native district of Salem, won’t augur well for the Opposition party, especially when assembly elections are less than 18 months away.

The BJP, which has been claiming that its vote share has increased in the state, more so in western Tamil Nadu from where its state unit chief K Annamalai hails, is also under pressure to contest.

By-polls have become a costly affair in Tamil Nadu in the past few decades with the ruling parties pumping in massive financial resources besides deputing almost the entire cabinet in the constituency to ensure victory, a prestige issue. In 2017, the by-poll to R K Nagar constituency which fell vacant due to the death of AIADMK chief J Jayalalithaa was rescinded due to rampant use of money power to buy votes.

Barring in 2019 when opposition DMK won 13 of the 22 seats that went to by-polls, only the ruling party nominees have won in by-elections since the 1990s.