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The ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) is heading towards victory in the Erode East bye-election, with its candidate Chandhirakumar VC leading by 6,756 votes over Naam Tamilar Katchi’s (NTK) MK Seethalakshmi.
This bye-election was necessitated following the death of Congress MLA EVKS Elangovan on December 14. Unlike previous elections, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chose to boycott the polls, significantly affecting the electoral dynamics.
A Historical Look at the Erode East Assembly Seat
The Erode East Assembly constituency was formed in 2008 after delimitation and has witnessed seven elections, including three Lok Sabha polls and one previous bye-election in February 2023. The constituency is part of the Erode parliamentary segment, where elections took place in 2014, 2019, and 2024.
Over the years, the AIADMK has been a dominant player, either fielding its own candidates or supporting allies. However, since the death of party leader J Jayalalithaa in December 2016, AIADMK has struggled, losing every contest in the constituency.
For the DMK, success has come in four out of seven elections. Interestingly, Chandhirakumar, the party’s current candidate, won the seat in 2011—but under the DMDK banner, when DMDK was allied with AIADMK.
DMK’s vote share in the last decade and a half has fluctuated between a high of 56.6% in 2024 and a low of 24.7% in 2014. Meanwhile, AIADMK’s vote share has declined over the years, peaking at 38.41% in 2021 and dropping to 22.73% in 2024.
What Lies Ahead?
With the DMK maintaining its stronghold and the AIADMK-BJP alliance staying out of the race, the political landscape in Tamil Nadu is shifting. Whether AIADMK can regain its past dominance remains to be seen, but for now, DMK is poised for another win in Erode East.
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