AIADMK to boycott Feb 5 Erode East bypoll

CHENNAI: The principal Opposition AIADMK on Saturday announced a boycott of the February 5 byelection to the Erode East Assembly constituency alleging that it would not be held in a free and fair manner under the ruling DMK.

AIADMK general secretary and the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly Edappadi K Palaniswami said the decision was taken at the AIADMK district secretaries' meeting.

"The DMK had bribed the voters with money and gifts in the previous bypoll in the same constituency. It also threatened the voters of losing out on the government's welfare schemes," said Palaniswami.

"This time also the DMK ministers would misuse their official machinery, unleash money power and indulge in various atrocities to murder democracy," he said, detailing the party's boycott decision.

The bypoll was necessitated following the death of senior Congress leader EVKS Elangovan last month, and Congress has conceded the seat to the DMK following a request from the latter.

Also Read: DMDK announces to boycott Erode East bypoll

Palaniswami also slammed the DMK government for backing out from its tall poll promise to get the NEET scrapped in the state. Pointing out CM Stalin's statement in the Assembly that only the Centre could exempt NEET for Tamil Nadu, he said: "This shows the double standards of DMK, which took students and parents for a ride with an empty poll promise."