Erode: DMK candidate V.C. Chandrakumar has taken a significant lead in the early rounds of counting for the Erode East Assembly by-election, held on February 5. His closest competitor, M.K. Seethalakshmi of Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), is trailing.
The vote counting process began at 8 AM at a government college in Chithode. The counting started with postal ballots, followed by the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). The by-election, held on February 5, saw a voter turnout of 67.97%.
Out of the 46 candidates in the fray, the primary battle is between DMKās V.C. Chandrakumar and NTKās M.K. Seethalakshmi. The AIADMK and other opposition parties had boycotted the election, making it a largely one-sided contest.
The by-election was necessitated following the death of Congress MLA EVKS Elangovan last year. As counting progresses, all eyes are on whether DMK will secure a decisive victory in this crucial western Tamil Nadu constituency.