Campaign heat growing in Erode East as bypoll nears

COIMBATORE: Barely with a week left for the much awaited Erode East bypoll, political parties are raising the heat with their frantic campaigns across the constituency.

Even though the constituency is witnessing a record high of 77 candidates in the fray, agreeably, the high octane battle appears to be between the AIADMK and the DMK-led Congress alliance.

Election officials pasting candidates name on the EVMs ahead of by-election in Erode East on Sunday

AIADMK’s interim general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami has been leading from the front in the battle for its party candidate KS Thennarasu, while its alliance partner BJP keeps silent on the campaign scene. Most of his attacks on the DMK veer around the unfulfilled Assembly poll promises of DMK, hike in property tax and electricity charges.

Yearning for a favourable verdict to cement his position as an undisputed leader of the AIADMK and checkmate his rival O Panneerselvam, Palaniswami never misses an opportunity in his whirlwind tour campaign to say, “AIADMK’s victory in the bypoll will reflect in the Parliamentary poll also.”

Whereas, the DMK is spearheading the campaign for Congress candidate EVKS Elangovan with a large contingent of around 20 DMK Ministers camping in the constituency and reaching out to the electorate. The government considers the bypoll to be a report card for its performance in the last 21 months.

Confident of sailing through an easy victory, Electricity Minister V Senthilbalaji has vowed that EVKS Elangovan will win by a victory margin of over 1 lakh votes. All other DMK Ministers too echo similar figures of victory margin. The DMK’s campaign is likely to gain more ammunition with Chief Minister MK Stalin expected to campaign in the coming days.

Among their high profile campaigns, Seeman’s Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) and DMDK candidate S Anand have pitched in with their relentless canvassing to take on both the mighty DMK and AIADMK with confidence.

“People see NTK as an alternative to both the DMK and AIADMK as they are betraying people by giving ‘empty’ promises. Both these parties are exploiting the poverty of people by purchasing them for vote. I see good prospects of winning this poll,” said Menaka Navaneethan.

The constituency has a mix of population from different castes and communities, with ‘Mudaliar’ and ‘Gounders’ in equal proportions of around 30 per cent each, while 15 per cent in minorities and others including the north Indian migrant population forming 20 per cent of the electorate. There are 2.26 lakh voters, including 1.10 lakh men voters, 1.16 lakh women voters and 23 others.