DMK’s Chandhirakumar wins Erode East; 45 candidates lose deposit

COIMBATORE: The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam’s VC Chandhirakumar romped home a decisive win with a margin of 91,558 votes in the Erode East bypolls.

Chandhirakumar secured 1,15,709 votes while his archrival Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) candidate Seethalakshmi got 24,151 votes.

Even though this victory was on expected lines for the DMK, with opposition parties, including the AIADMK and BJP, boycotting the bypolls citing irregularities, such a huge vote margin came as a surprise.

Since the first round of counting, Chandhirakumar maintained a steady lead, with his vote margin growing. From a significant lead of 6,756 votes in the first round, the margin grew consistently to reach 91,558 votes in the final 20th round. Significantly, NOTA polled 6,109 votes to secure the third spot.

Of the total 46 candidates, including several independents who were testing the electoral waters, all except Chandhirakumar lost their deposits.

In the 2021 assembly polls, Congress candidate Thirumagan Everaa had won the Erode (E) seat by 8,904 votes against Tamil Maanila Congress candidate Yuvaraja, who contested on the AIADMK’s two leaves symbol.

Following his death due to a heart attack, his father and Congress leader EVKS Elangovan won the bypolls in 2023, with 66,233 votes against AIADMK’s KS Thennarasu. Subsequently, EVKS Elangovan’s death on December 14 last year necessitated this bypoll.

Chandhirakumar had first contested on a DMDK ticket in the AIADMK alliance and won the Erode East assembly constituency in its first polls after delimitation in 2011. He then defeated Minister for Housing and Urban Development S Muthusamy.

In the subsequent polls in 2016, Chandhirakumar contested from DMK, but lost to AIADMK’s KS Thennarasu. The assembly seat went into the kitty of the Congress, which won in 2021 (Thirumahan Everaa) and EVKS Elangovan in 2023 bypolls.