Erode East bypoll: DMK front steps up campaign

CHENNAI:  With the by-elections to the Erode East Assembly constituency to be held on February 27, the DMK front has stepped up its campaign.

The front is bringing in several senior leaders and ministers for the campaign of the Congress leader and former Union Minister, E.V.K.S Elangovan who is the front candidate for the seat.

The young scion of the Karunanidhi family and Tamil Nadu Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs, Udayanidhi Stalin will commence his campaign for the Congress, DMK candidate, Elangovan from Friday.

Udayanidhi, who is the son of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, was a movie actor and producer and is highly popular among the youths of the state. He is currently the secretary of the youth wing of the DMK.

The presence of Udayanidhi Stalin is expected to lift the morale of the DMK camp as election for the Erode East bypoll has become tight for the DMK even though the party had thought it was a cakewalk.

The Congress, DMK candidate E. Thirumahan Everaa had won the seat in the 2021 Assembly elections at a margin of 8,924 seats and his passing away on January 4 has led to a bypoll in the constituency.

Even though the Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) of South Indian superstar Kamal Haasan has extended its support to the Congress candidate, the DMK, Congress camp is worried that there could be undercurrents at play in the election.

AIADMK interim general secretary and former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) hails from Kongu belt and it is his prestige to wrest the seat from the DMK-led front.

The DMK and Congress are aware of these factors and is putting up a fight which has not been seen the constituency. Almost all the ministers of the Stalin cabinet are present at Erode East and is campaigning among people based on their community with an OBC minister campaigning among people of his caste and Muslim minister campaigning among Muslims and like wise.

A senior leader of the AIADMK, however, told IANS, "The DMK has stepped up its campaign and odds may favour them but at the ground level things are different and we will win home easily. Our tactics will not be unveiled now but we have a strategy and the campaign is centrered around it."

Udayanidhi Stalin, according to the DMK sources, will be campaigning for three days continuously and is likely to be in the constituency for a few more days. The Chief Minister is expected to campaign during the last couple of days in Erode East constituency.

Meanwhile Stalin's sister and DMK Deputy General secretary and Member of Parliament from Thoothukudi constituency, Kanimozhi Karunanidhi had campaigned in East Erode and launched a blistering attack against the AIADMK leader, Edappadi K. Palaniswami(EPS) on certain remarks made by him especially some misogynistic remarks.