<p>Erode, Feb 8 (PTI) The counting of votes polled in the February 5 by-election to the Erode East assembly segment commenced here on Saturday morning.</p>.<p>The counting began at 8 am at a government college at Chithode in this district.</p>.<p>Postal ballots were taken up for counting first. Later, the EVMs would be opened.</p>.<p>Earlier, on Wednesday, the western segment had recorded a voter turn out of 67.97 per cent.</p>.Campaign in 'noiseless' Erode (east) by-elections come to an end.<p>There are 46 candidates, including 44 independents, in the fray and the contest is only between the ruling DMK's VC Chandirakumar and Tamil nationalist party, Naam Tamizhar Katchi's (NTK) M K Seethalakshmi.</p>.<p>Opposition parties, including the main opposition AIADMK, have boycotted the polls.</p>.<p>The bypoll was necessitated due to the death of Congress MLA EVKS Elangovan last year. </p>
<p>Erode, Feb 8 (PTI) The counting of votes polled in the February 5 by-election to the Erode East assembly segment commenced here on Saturday morning.</p>.<p>The counting began at 8 am at a government college at Chithode in this district.</p>.<p>Postal ballots were taken up for counting first. Later, the EVMs would be opened.</p>.<p>Earlier, on Wednesday, the western segment had recorded a voter turn out of 67.97 per cent.</p>.Campaign in 'noiseless' Erode (east) by-elections come to an end.<p>There are 46 candidates, including 44 independents, in the fray and the contest is only between the ruling DMK's VC Chandirakumar and Tamil nationalist party, Naam Tamizhar Katchi's (NTK) M K Seethalakshmi.</p>.<p>Opposition parties, including the main opposition AIADMK, have boycotted the polls.</p>.<p>The bypoll was necessitated due to the death of Congress MLA EVKS Elangovan last year. </p>