In Photos: Tight Contest in TN's Erode East By-Election Ends With 74.69% Polling

In Erode East, a tight contest was held between Congress, AIADMK and BJP.

In Erode East seat, polling was recorded at 74.69 percent at 7 pm.

(Image: The Quint)

Following the sudden demise of Congress MLA E Thirumahan Everaa, who died of cardiac arrest on 4 January 2023, the Erode (East) Assembly constituency in Tamil Nadu witnessed a by-election.

The voting for the tightly contested Erode East by-election began at 7 am on Monday, 27 February. There were a total of 238 polling stations, including 34 vulnerable ones. A total of 1,430 ballot units, 286 control units, and 310 voter-verifiable paper audit trials (VVPATs) used for the polls. Five ballot machines bearing 16 symbols each were used in every polling booth.

A total of 77 candidates contested in the by-election. The constituency has a total of 2,26,898 voters including 1,10,713 men, 1,16,140 women and 23 transgender persons. Till 5 pm, 70.58 % voter turnout was recorded. The votes will be counted on 2 March, 2023.

The DMK-backed Congress fielded EVKS Elangovan as its candidate and he cast his vote in bypoll. Earlier, actor turned politician Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), for the first time, extended support to the Congress.

The AIADMK fielded two-time MLA KS Thennarasu as its candidate for the Erode East by-election, and he cast his vote.

Chief Electoral Officer Sathyabrata Sahoo monitored the polls from Election Control Room in Secretariat, Chennai.

Modakkurichi BJP MLA C Saraswathi exercised her franchise. 

The Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) fielded Menaka Navaneedhan and Desiya Murpokku Dravidar Kazhagam (DMDK) named S Anand as their candidates. The Amma Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK) which fielded AM Shiva Phrashanth but he opted out of the poll fray at the eleventh hour. The PMK announced that it would not contest in the by-poll, as it considered the exercise unnecessary and a waste of money.