Erode East bypoll: Symbol question remains, but AIADMK talks to BJP, TMC

CHENNAI: Even as the DMK camp seems to have made a head start by allocating the Erode East bypoll seat to its ally Congress, AIADMK has started holding parleys with allies BJP and TMC over fielding of candidate for the byelection scheduled for February 27.

Amid speculation that BJP may contest the by-election, party  state president K Annamalai said he had held discussions with AIADMK interim general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami and TMC president GK Vasan and conveyed their views to the BJP’s national leadership and they would take a decision soon.  

Meanwhile, a delegation of former AIADMK ministers --- D Jayakumar, B Valarmathi, S Gokula Indira and P Benjamin --- called on Vasan at his party office and held discussions.   Asked whether the TMC, which contested from the constituency in 2021, would field its candidate again, Vasan said, “Our objective is to make the AIADMK-led alliance win.  This election should pave the way for the victory of our alliance in future elections. Based on this, the candidate for this byelection will be announced after consulting the alliance parties.”

Vasan said since votes against the DMK government are going up with every passing day as the DMK has failed to fulfill its key electoral promises, the AIADMK alliance would definitely win the by-election. Vasan also said he had called on EPS on January 16 and held detailed discussions and after the byelection was notified he had spoken twice to the AIADMK leader on phone.

Meanwhile, sources said the AIADMK had asked TMC if it is ready to contest the by-election without the ‘two-leaves’ symbol.

When it was pointed out that in the 2021 assembly elections the TMC candidate had contested in the ‘two-leaves’ symbol from the seat and asked whether there would be any difficulty in getting the symbol this time due to the problems within the AIADMK, Jayakumar said, "Let us first decide about the candidate and question about symbol will come later."

In Chennai, asked whether the state BJP would urge the national leadership to contest this by-election, Annamalai said, "When you are in an alliance, dharma should be followed.  We have to see who contested from which constituency and the short-term and long-term goals of the party. They have conveyed their views. Our national leadership will take an appropriate decision soon."

Meanwhile, the TMC unit of the Erode adopted a resolution saying that the seat should be allocated to the party. TMC office-bearers expressed confidence that the TMC leader would take the right decision. M Yuvaraj, who contested the seat in the 2021 election on behalf of the TMC, said, "Our objective is that the AIADMK alliance should win the seat."