Erode East bypolls: DMK announces senior leader V.C. Chandhirakumar as candidate

Chennai:  The DMK has announced senior leader V.C. Chandhirakumar as its candidate for the Erode East bye-elections, scheduled to be held on February 5.

Chandhirakumar, the Assistant Propaganda Secretary of the DMK, was previously a legislator representing the DMDK before shifting allegiance to the DMK.

DMK President and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin made the announcement on Saturday.

He stated that since Erode East is a Congress party stronghold, discussions were held with the Congress leadership before deciding that the DMK would contest the bye-election.

The bypoll was necessitated by the recent demise of Congress MLA EVKS Elangovan, who himself became the MLA of Erode East following the untimely death of his son and former MLA Thirumagan Everaa, who passed away at the age of 46 due to a massive heart attack.

Chandhirakumar, a postgraduate in Public Administration and a businessman, began his political career as the Propaganda Secretary of the DMDK, a party founded by Tamil superstar Vijayakanth in 2005.

He first became an MLA in 2011 after defeating K.S. Thennarasu of the AIADMK in the Assembly elections held for the Erode East constituency following the delimitation exercise.

In 2016, Chandhirakumar joined the DMK and contested the Assembly elections the same year but was unsuccessful.

Since then, he has served as the DMK’s Assistant propaganda secretary.

Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) President K. Selvaperunthagai earlier stated that the 2026 Assembly elections in the state are just 10 months away.

Based on Chief Minister Stalin’s request, the All India Congress Committee and TNCC unanimously decided that the DMK should field its candidate for the bye-election in the interest of the INDIA bloc.

Notably, Chief Minister Stalin attended Chandhirakumar’s family wedding reception during his visit to Erode on December 19, 2024.

IANS had reported on December 21, 2024, that Tamil Nadu Minister and DMK Erode South District Secretary S. Muthusamy had conveyed to CM Stalin that DMK cadres were eager for the party to contest the seat.

According to DMK insiders, Muthusamy also informed CM Stalin that the Congress lacks prominent leaders in Erode East, making it strategically beneficial for the DMK to field a candidate in the interest of the INDIA bloc.

During his December visit to Erode, CM Stalin directed party functionaries to strengthen the DMK’s presence in constituencies perceived as weak in the district, aiming for a strong performance in the 2026 Assembly elections.

–IANS