AIADMK putting all-out effort to wrest Erode East seat in by-poll

The opposition AIADMK in Tamil Nadu has been putting an all-out effort to wrest the Erode East assembly seat -- by-election to which is scheduled to be held on February 27.

The by-election was necessitated after the sitting legislator of Erode East constituency, E. Thirumahan Everaa who had won the seat by defeating M. Yograj of the Tamil Manila Congress by a margin of 8,924 votes in the 2021 assembly elections, passed away on January 4.

AIADMK interim general secretary and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, K. Palaniswami -- also popularly known as EPS, has constituted a 100-member committee of party leaders including all district secretaries and senior leaders to ensure the victory of the party candidate in the by-polls.

The name of the AIADMK candidate is yet to be finalised. According to sources, a decision in this regard would be taken soon.

The former Chief Minister, who is hopeful of a resounding performance by his party candidate, included all senior leaders in the committee (for the poll) headed by former minister and party organising secretary, D. Jayakumar.

The AIADMK has also included the party presidium chairman, Tamil Magan Hussain also in the 100-member committee which has names of former ministers, Natham R. Viswanathan, K.P. Munuswamy, party treasurer, Dindigul R. Sreenivasan and former Deputy Speaker of Lok Sabha, S. Thambiduarai in the committee.


Sources in the AIADMK told IANS that EPS, who is "under pressure to win the seat for the party", and is also trying to stamp his authority in the AIADMK, does not want to take any chances in the by-election.

Sources believe that the AIADMK would be facing an uphill task in wresting the sitting seat from the DMK.

The Congress and DMK have announced the candidature of EVKS Elangovan, father of the late MLA, E. Thirumahan Everaa.

Sources say that the "good image" of Chief Minister M.K. Stalin will also be a major support for the candidature of EVKS Elangovan.- IANS