Erode by-polls: EVKS leads; Kharge says going to win with huge margin

ERODE: Indian National Congress (INC) candidate E.V.K.S. Elangovan is leading in by-polls for Tamil Nadu's Erode East assembly constituency against All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam candidate K.S Thennarasu, who is trailing by a margin of 10,799 votes in the latest trends. The counting of votes for Erode bye-elections is underway.

According to the latest trends, Congress is leading and has 16,286 votes, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) has 5487 votes, Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) with 1154 votes and Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) with 220 votes.

Talking to ANI, "Everybody expected this and our party people were very confident to win. We are going to win that seat with a huge margin. People are a pro-DMK-Congress alliance," Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge said on party's lead in Erode East by-poll in Tamil Nadu.

They feel that Congress, with the alliance, should come forward to form the govt, Kharge said when asked if poll results in Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura would be a reflection of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

"No. Usually, northeast parties go with Central Govt trends but many leaders are committed to national politics. They support Congress, secular parties, democracy and constitution" said the Congress chief on if poll-results in Meghalaya, Nagaland & Tripura would be a reflection of the 2024 LS polls.

Meanwhile, the counting of votes for bye-elections to one assembly constituency each in Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and two assembly seats in Maharashtra began on Thursday.

The voting in all these assembly constituencies was held on February 27 (Monday). In Tamil Nadu's Erode East Assembly by-polls, a total of 77 candidates across political affiliations are vying for the prized Assembly constituency.

Tamil Nadu's Erode recorded a voting percentage of over 74 per cent on February 27 (Monday). However, the by-poll is being essentially seen between Congress candidate EVKS Elangovan and AIADMK's Thennarasu. Elangovan contested the by-poll with the support of the DMK, which is also Congress' bigger partner in the ruling alliance.

After the recent Supreme Court ruling, which allowed him to remain at the helm of the AIADMK, former Tamil Nadu chief minister Edappadi Palaniswami has a chance to emerge as a tall leader and reaffirm his hold on the party if the outcome of the Erode by-poll goes his way.

However, the AIADMK faces a stiff contest from the ruling DMK in the battle for the prized seat, with the Naam Tamizlar Katchi (NTK), the Desiya Morpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) and several other players also in the fray.

The by-poll was necessitated after the sudden demise of Congress MLA Thirumahan Eveera. Besides counting for the by-polls, counting is also on for assembly elections in three northeastern states Tripura, Nagaland and Meghalaya.