In the name of the father and of the son, MK Stalin eyes Erode East bypoll victory

Canvassing for Congress’s EVKS Elangovan, whose father EVK Sampath was related to Periyar, Tamil Nadu CM says on the last day of campaign, “The son of Kalaignar (the late Karunanidhi) has come here to seek your votes for the son of Sampath.”

CM Stalin urged people to vote for Congress veteran EVKS Elangovan, saying the Congress leader was there to complete the job left unfinished by his late son. (Twitter/@arivalayam)

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As the campaigning for the Erode East Assembly bypoll in Tamil Nadu ended Saturday, the DMK appeared confident that its decision to back Congress veteran EVKS Elangovan and invoking of his familial links to the Dravidian movement would result in a major victory for the ruling alliance.

On Saturday, Chief Minister M K Stalin held five rallies in Erode, which falls in the western Kongu region that is the home of AIADMK chief and former CM Edappadi K Palaniswami, and assured voters that the 2021 poll promise of a monthly allowance of Rs 1,000 for women heads of families would be fulfilled soon. He also said his government had fulfilled most of its election-time commitments.

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Stalin urged people to vote for Elangovan, saying the Congress leader was there to complete the job left unfinished by his late son. The bypoll, scheduled for February 27, was called after Congress MLA E Thirumahan Everaa, 46, Elangovan’s son, died in early January.

Stalin, in his speeches, also invoked the memories of EVK Sampath, Elangovan’s father who belongs to the family of the Dravidian movement’s leader Periyar. The CM said, “The son of Kalaignar (the late Karunanidhi) has come here to seek your votes for the son of Sampath.”

The DMK camp believes that Elangovan, a longtime leader who twice headed the Tamil Nadu Congress unit, will win by over 30,000 votes. However, the AIADMK’s K S Thennarasu, under the leadership of Palaniswami, is putting up a strong fight. The legal victory of the AIADMK interim general secretary in the internal party dispute last week is also expected to help the AIADMK.

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Erode East has over 2.26 lakh voters and 50,000 of them are from the minority community, a crucial factor for the AIADMK-BJP alliance.

An alliance of Left and Dalit parties has rallied behind Elangovan in the campaigns. He also has the support of Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam. Other prominent candidates include Menaka Navaneethan of Naam Tamilar Party and S Anand of Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam.

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The counting of votes will take place on March 2. A total of 77 candidates are in the fray. Past bypoll results in Tamil Nadu have usually been in favour of the ruling regimes. In this election, DMK ministers led the campaign for Elangovan, while former AIADMK ministers were leading it for Thennarasu. During the campaigning, Palaniswami has been camping at Erode, which falls in his western Kongu region. Stalin’s son, Udhayanidhi, too, has emerged as a prominent face.

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Election Commission data showed 41 cases of violation of the model code of conduct (MCC). A total of 725 election-related complaints have been recorded so far, and about 75 cases were registered by the police. Of the total 238 polling booths, 32 are recognized as vulnerable ones. In these seats, the EC has taken steps to monitor the polling process, deploying paramilitary personnel, micro-observers and web cameras.

As the people of Erode East get ready to cast their votes, the result of the election will be key for the ruling party, as well as for the Congress, which has been struggling to make headway in Tamil Nadu politics for several decades.

Arun Janardhanan

Arun Janardhanan is an experienced and authoritative Tamil Nadu correspondent for The Indian Express. Based in the state, his reporting combines ground-level access with long-form clarity, offering readers a nuanced understanding of South India’s political, judicial, and cultural life - work that reflects both depth of expertise and sustained authority. Expertise Geographic Focus: As Tamil Nadu Correspondent focused on politics, crime, faith and disputes, Janardhanan has been also reporting extensively on Sri Lanka, producing a decade-long body of work on its elections, governance, and the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings through detailed stories and interviews. Key Coverage Areas: State Politics and Governance: Close reporting on the DMK and AIADMK, the emergence of new political actors such as actor Vijay’s TVK, internal party churn, Centre–State tensions, and the role of the Governor. Legal and Judicial Affairs: Consistent coverage of the Madras High Court, including religion-linked disputes and cases involving state authority and civil liberties. Investigations: Deep-dive series on landmark cases and unresolved questions, including the Tirupati encounter and the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, alongside multiple investigative series from Tamil Nadu. Culture, Society, and Crisis: Reporting on cultural organisations, language debates, and disaster coverage—from cyclones to prolonged monsoon emergencies—anchored in on-the-ground detail. His reporting has been recognised with the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism. Beyond journalism, Janardhanan is also a screenwriter; his Malayalam feature film Aarkkariyam was released in 2021. ... Read More