Erode East bye-election: High voter turnout, DMK vs NTK in key battle

Polling for the Erode East bye-election began at 7 am today, with District Collector Raja Gopal Sunkara among the first to vote. Early reports indicate a high voter turnout, with long queues at multiple polling stations.

A total of 2,27,576 voters are eligible to cast their ballots across 237 polling booths, with ten booths marked as “vulnerable.” Over 3,000 police personnel have been deployed to ensure smooth and secure voting. Polling will continue until 6 pm, after which EVMs will be transported to Siddha Government College under heavy security.

The bye-election has turned into a direct contest between the ruling DMK and the NTK after AIADMK and BJP opted out. DMK’s candidate, former MLA V.C. Chandhirakumar, faces NTK’s M.K. Seethalakshmi, the party’s women’s wing leader.

The election was necessitated following the passing of Congress leader EVKS Elangovan, who won the seat in the 2023 bye-election after his son’s demise. A pre-election survey by People Studies predicted a clear victory for DMK with 59.5% support.

With the vote count set for February 8, all eyes are now on the final results to decide the next representative for Erode East.