Tag: Erode

Cong retains Erode East Assembly seat; Elangovan wins with huge margin of 66,000 votes

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Erode: The ruling DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) on Thursday retained the Erode East bypoll segment in this western Tamil Nadu town with an emphatic win against the K Palaniswami-led AIADMK, prompting Chief Minister M K Stalin to bill it as an endorsement of his near two year-old government’s “Dravidian model” of governance.
Palaniswami charged the ruling dispensation with “misuse of authority, money power and violence” to win the election.
Setting a record of sorts, SPA candidate EVKS Elangovan of the Congress received more than one lakh of the around 1.70 lakh votes polled on February 27, galloping ahead of his nearest AIADMK rival KS Thennarasu by around 66,000 votes.
At the end of 15 rounds of counting, Elangovan, a former TNCC president and ex-union minister, polled a little over 1.10 lakh votes, becoming the first candidate to cross the one lakh votes mark in the constituency, since its creation in 2010 following the delimitation excercise.
Thennarasu, a former legislator from here, got around 44,000 votes, according to Election authorities.
Nam Tamizhar Katchi’s Meneka Navaneethan and DMDK’s Anand forfeited deposit.
A total of 77 candidates were in the fray.
Much prestige was invested by both the DMK and its archrival AIADMK in the fiercely contested electoral battle as this was the first by-poll since the former came to power in 2021, and a year ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
With the “historic and grand win”, the ground was being prepared for an even bigger victory of the SPA in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Stalin told reporters in Chennai.

“During the campaign I repeatedly sought people’s support for the Dravidian model of governance. People have given a verdict saying it should be done with more vigour,” he said.
DMK pitches the Dravidian model of governance as an inclusive development model.
“I sought an endorsement of the DMK government’s Dravidian model and asked them to gauge our government. People have gauged and have strengthened this government,” he added.
Elangovan lauded the honest and sincere propaganda work by the DMK Ministers and members of the party for his victory. He assured that as MLA he would implement all required developmental works in the constituency with the help of the CM.
S Muthusamy, Tamil Nadu Minister for Urban Development and Housing and a local strongman, said the victory showed the public faith in the incumbent government. DMK and Congress supporters celebrated Elangovan’s win.
Palaniswami, in a statement, thanked those who had voted for his party and levelled allegations of irregularities against the DMK to win the bypoll.
Various instances of alleged irregularities, including ‘herding’ of people by the DMK during campaign was taken up with the authorities concerned by the AIADMK, but to no avail, he said.
“Atrocities and fascist procedures will not win forever; will soon perish,” he said.
A distraught Thennarasu alleged money power won and claimed “democracy lost”.
Though rival AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam initially fielded his nominee, he later withdrew him.
BJP state president K Annamalai said he did not see the win as an endorsement of the government’s performance and indicated factors like “sympathy” were also there, apparently referring to Elangovan being the father of deceased Congress MLA E Thirumahan Everaa, whose demise in January necessitated the bypoll.
People might have preferred the ruling coalition nominee knowing that his defeat would not make much difference.
As many as 18 Congress MLAs were elected in the 2021 polls and the strength came down by one due to the vacancy created following Thirumahan Everaa’s death. Its strength will now be 18 again, in the 234-member DMK-dominated House.
AIADMK has a total of 66 legislators.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

March 2, 2023
TN Erode East bypoll turnout nearly 75 percent, peaceful

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Erode: Nearly 75 percent of the 2.27 lakh voters cast their votes in the Erode East by-election held in Tamil Nadu on Monday and the polling exercise was peaceful, authorities said here.
Voting began at 7 AM and ended at 6 PM and District Collector H Krishnanunni was among the early voters. Chief Electoral Officer, Satyabrata Sahoo told reporters in Chennai that the polling percentage till 6 PM stood at 74.69 percent.
While the bypoll result would have no immediate impact on the State’s present political landscape, it could set the tone for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
DMK president and Chief Minister M K Stalin had appealed to the people to consider the bypoll as an opportunity to evaluate the good performance of his government which delivered on its promises and vote for his party’s ally the Congress.
AIADMK top leader K Palaniswami squarely blamed the ruling party over a host of issues, including rise in electricity tariff and not getting NEET exemption for Tamil Nadu as assured and appealed to the people to teach the ruling party a fitting lesson by voting for his party’s ‘Two leaves’ symbol.
Returning Officer K Sivakumar said “peaceful polling was conducted and completed without any incident”. Some voters in polling stations who were in the queue by 6 PM were provided tokens and allowed to vote.
After polling ended, police, along with para-military personnel took out a march to instill confidence among people and prevented congregation of public and party workers to rule out scope for untoward incidents.
A few alleged technical glitches were reported, prompting authorities to suspend voting in two booths.
The AIADMK complained to the Returning Officer that some DMK men were involved in distribution of cash at Asokapuram, but when authorities rushed to the spot they did not find anyone, they said.

At Veerapanchathiram, complaints were received that votes were not recorded for the intended candidate after pressing a particular button on the electronic voting machine (EVM). At Brough Road, EVM did not function properly. In both places, officials suspended voting for sometime, before resuming after addressing the glitches.
Candidates of the ruling DMK-backed EVKS Elangovan of the Congress and AIADMK’s K S Thennarasu among others cast their vote.
The election was necessitated due to the death of Elangovan’s son and Congress legislator E Thirumahan Everaa in January this year.
While 77 candidates are in fray, the battle is likely confined between the Congress and AIADMK. Naam Tamizhar Katchi’s Meneka Navaneethan is among the other candidates.
The outcome of the election, the first since the DMK came to power in 2021, will have no major bearing on the existing strength of the respective parties in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly, but is being seen as an indicator of the ruling party’s popularity, especially with the LS elections slated next year.
Eighteen Congress MLAs were elected to the House in 2021 but the DMK ally’s strength came down by 1 due to the vacancy following Thirumahan Everaa’s death.
The Palaniswami-led AIADMK, the main Opposition party in the Assembly has a strength of 66 MLAs and a win here would be a morale booster to the party ahead of the hustings in 2024. The Supreme Court had last week allowed him to continue as the party’ interim chief, seen as a shot in arm for Palaniswami.
The AIADMK’s performance could inspire Palaniswami and his leadership team, which is facing a legal battle led by O Panneerselvam against his expulsion.
The constituency has 2,27,547 voters and women (1,16,497) are more than men (1,11,025) and 25 fall under the third gender category. The total number of polling stations is 238. Votes will be counted on March 2.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 27, 2023
Erode East bypoll: Kamal Haasan to campaign for Congress candidate

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Chennai: South Indian film superstar and MNM founder President Kamal Haasan will be campaigning for Congress’ Erode East Assembly bypoll candidate E.V.K.S. Elangovan on February 19.
He has already announced his support for the DMK-led alliance candidate.
Kamal Haasan had met Rahul Gandhi during his Bharat Jodo yatra in New Delhi and had walked with him for a few kilometers on an invitation from the Congress.
In the 2021 Assembly elections, MNM candidate A.M.R. Rajkumar received 10,005 votes and the support extended by the MNM could be crucial for Elangovan in the February 27 bypoll.
Kamal Haasan is a crowd puller and his campaign on February 19 for the Congress candidate could help the party candidate.
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( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 11, 2023