Polling for the by-election to the Erode East Assembly constituency in Tamil Nadu began at 7 am on Wednesday under heavy police security. Voting is taking place across 237 booths at 53 locations.
Due to cold weather conditions, voter turnout was initially low, but officials expect the numbers to pick up later in the day. The by-election has drawn a total of 46 candidates, including 44 independents. However, the contest is primarily between the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) and actor-politician Seeman’s Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK).
The DMK has fielded former MLA V C Chandrakumar, while M K Seethalakshmi is contesting on behalf of the NTK. The main Opposition AIADMK and the BJP have boycotted the by-poll alleging intimidation by Chief Minister MK Stalin-led DMK.
The by-poll was necessitated after the death of Congress MLA EVKS Elangovan last year.
Meanwhile, actor-politician Vijay’s Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) also jumped onto the boycott bandwagon, refusing to participate in the election. The party voiced concerns over the abuse of power by the ruling government to win by-elections, arguing that such practices were far more prevalent in bypolls than in general elections.
The Erode East constituency has a total of 2,27,546 voters. Officials have identified nine booths as sensitive, where additional security personnel have been deployed. Among the early voters was District Collector Raja Gopal Sunkara, who cast his vote soon after polling commenced.
Despite the boycott by other parties, the Erode East by-election remains a significant political event, with both the DMK and NTK vying for the seat.
With inputs from PTI