Strategic move to expose DMK: Annamalai on Erode East bypoll boycott

CHENNAI: The State BJP unit on Sunday defended its decision to boycott Erode East bypoll, saying they want to stay away from electoral malpractices, alleging that previous by-elections were notorious for such violations.

“The DMK, in its lust for power, had confined voters in bars and subjected them to torture,” State unit president Annamalai alleged, referring to the 2023 bypoll. “We will not allow the DMK to repeat this charade once again,” he added.

NDA’s decision was a strategic move aimed at exposing the DMK’s alleged misdeeds and targeted at mobilising public opinion against the ruling party, Annamalai claimed.

“Our goal is to remove the DMK from power in the 2026 Assembly elections and provide good governance to the people of the State. We are confident that the people will rally behind us and support our cause,” he noted.

The decision was arrived at after a meeting with the BJP’s national co-in-charge for Tamil Nadu, Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy.

Elaborating on the decision, a top-level leader said, “Initially, our intention was to contest it as the Congress was supposed to be in the fray. However, given that the ruling DMK is now contesting directly, we anticipated that they will resort to extreme measures to inflate their vote margin. This compelled us to reassess our decision.”

The insider said that they if the saffron party ends up a negligible number of votes, it would have far-reaching consequences in the upcoming assembly elections. “After exhaustive consultations with our alliance partners and key party leaders, we have resolved to boycott the by-election,” the leader disclosed to DT Next.

Meanwhile, party state secretary Vinoj P Selvam on Sunday justified the move, saying that the DMK was employing its monetary and muscle power to stifle the people's voice.

“The DMK’s high-handedness in the by-elections is a cause for concern. They are using their money and muscle power to intimidate voters and suppress dissenting voices. The BJP-led NDA has taken a principled stand by boycotting the by-election, as we cannot be a party to this farce,” he declared at a press meet.

On the contrary, Vinoj P Selvam criticised the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) for relinquishing its sitting seat, Erode East, to the ruling DMK, terming it a “betrayal of public trust” and a “clear indication of the party’s subservience to the DMK.”

Addressing reporters after distributing Pongal gift to the public at Teynampet here, Vinoj P Selvam averred that the TNCC’s decision to cede the seat to the DMK was a stark manifestation of the party’s inherent weakness and lack of leadership.

“The TNCC’s action is a blatant betrayal of the people’s trust. Evidently, the party lacks strong leadership and is being remote-controlled by the DMK. The fact that they have surrendered their seat without a fight speaks volumes about their spinelessness,” he asserted.