Tamil Nadu: DMK candidate Chandhirakumar wins Erode (East) bye-elections

ERODE (Tamil Nadu): The ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu won the Erode (East) Assembly bye-elections with its candidate V C Chandhirakumar defeating NTK party candidate MK Seethalakshmi by a margin of 91,558 votes on Saturday.

As per the Election Commission data Chandhirakumar secured a total of 1,15, 709 votes. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin thanked the people of Erode constituency for providing the victory as a testament to good governance.

பெரியார் மண்ணில் பெருவெற்றி!

நல்லாட்சிக்கு நற்சான்றாக இந்த வெற்றியை வழங்கியுள்ள ஈரோடு கிழக்குத் தொகுதி மக்களுக்கு நன்றி!

தோள் கொடுத்துப் பணியாற்றிய கூட்டணிக் கட்சியினருக்கும் தோழமை இயக்கங்களுக்கு நன்றி!#ErodeEastByElection pic.twitter.com/2XCm52BmL4

— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) February 8, 2025

He also thanked the coalition parties and allied movements for working shoulder to shoulder. Taking to social media X, the CM wrote in a post “Big victory on Periyar soil! Thank you to the people of Erode East constituency for providing this victory as a testament to good governance! Thank you to the coalition parties and the allied movements who worked shoulder to shoulder!” the post read.

Visuals showed DMK party workers celebrating the win outside party headquarters.

Earlier in the day, security was significantly heightened outside the counting centre. Personnel from various law enforcement agencies were also deployed to ensure the safety and smooth functioning of the vote-counting process.

The AIADMK and BJP boycotted the bye-election on February 5, which was held in response to the death of Congress lawmaker EVKS Elangovan on December 14, 2024.

The polling in 237 polling station began at 7 am and concluded at 6 pm across 53 locations. The voter turnout at 9 am was at 10.95 per cent, 26.03 per cent by 11 am, 42.41 per cent by 1 pm, 53.63 per cent by 3 pm, and 64.02 per cent by 5 pm.

A total of 46 contenders contested in the bypolls. There were 2,27,546 electors in all, including 1,10,128 men, 1,17,381 women, and 37 transgender people.

According to District Election Officer and Collector Raja Gopal Sunkara, electors can use any of the 12 specified documents as identification when casting their ballots if they are unable to provide an Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC). (ANI)