A statement issued on behalf of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance on Thursday said Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, after a meeting with leaders of parties in the alliance, decided to allot the Erode (East) Assembly seat to the Congress, as the bypoll was necessitated by the death of the party’s MLA E. Thirumahan Everaa.
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Earlier in the day, Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K.S. Alagiri said the party would contest in the bypoll for the Erode (East) constituency, as it had won the seat in the 2021 Assembly election as part of the DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance. He met Mr. Stalin and sought support for the Congress candidate.
The Election Commission of India announced that the bypoll for Erode (East) constituency would be held on February 27, following the demise of Thirumahan Everaa earlier this month.
“Senior leaders from our party will meet our alliance partners including the DMK, MDMK VCK, and others, and seek their support for the byelection,” Mr. Alagiri had told reporters. The late MLA’s father and former Union Minister E.V.K.S. Elangovan or his brother Sanjay Sampath are seen among the probable candidates.
Mr. Alagiri had also led the party’s protest near the Collectorate here urging Governor R.N. Ravi to quit. “Mr. Ravi has been acting against the norms prescribed by the Constitution and is acting like an RSS agent, speaking about Sanatana Dharma.