 "Counting of votes begins for Erode-East bypolls, in Erode, Tamil Nadu, Saturday. Source: PTI")
The ruling DMK bagged big in by-polls held in Tamil Nadu’s Erode East constituency in results declared Saturday (February 8), with its candidate VC Chandirakumar securing a comfortable lead of more than 91,000 against his rival M K Seethalakshmi of the Tamil nationalist party Naam Tamizhar Katchi’s (NTK) party.
Voting here was held on February 5 with a turnout of about 68 per cent even as some major political parties like All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam AIADMK) and the BJP had staged a boycott.
Erode bypoll results
According to data available on the website of the Election Commission of India, DMK’s candidate, former DMDK MLA from the same seat VC Chandirakumar was all set to emerge victorious on the seat, getting more than 115,000 votes.
NTK’s MK Seethalakshmi was trailing in a distant second position, with just over 24,000 votes in her bag.
Did BJP’s boycott help DMK?
According to local media sources, the ruling party of DMK may have benefitted from BJP’s and AIADMK’s boycott.
Some analysts said that voters who could have chosen AIADMK or BJP ended up casting their ballots in favour of DMK.
According to reports, controversial remarks made by NTK leader Seeman against Periyar, hailed as the father of Dravidian movement in Tamil Nadu, may have dissuaded voters.