DMK allots by poll-bound Erode East seat to Congress

CHENNAI: The ruling DMK has allotted a by-poll bound Erode East constituency to the Congress party. The decision to allow Congress to retain its sitting seat was made after a meeting of the national party and DMK leaders at the latter's party headquarters Anna Arivalayam late Thursday evening.

A statement circulated to the media by the DMK in the name of Secular Progressive Alliance said that after Chief Minister M K Stalin's consultation with the Secular Progressive Alliance leaders it has been decided to allot Erode East seat, which goes for by-poll on February 27, to the Congress as it had won the same seat in 2021.

A delegation of Congress leaders comprising TNCC president K S Alagiri, former state party presidents EVKS Elangovan, Su Thirunavukkarasar and M Krishnasamy met Stalin at Arivalayam and thanked him for allocating the seat, putting to bed speculation about the DMK planning to field a candidate of its own.

The seat allocation decision and the manner in which it was communicated in the name of the alliance, DMK sources said, was a statement of their commitment to the alliance and the ideology it advances.

Though the decision was formalised in the evening, sources have it that finality was reached early Thursday morning after local DMK strongman and State Housing Minister S Muthusamy blinked and assured victory to his party leadership, unmindful of them contesting the polls.

Meanwhile, the rumour mill has started spinning overtime in the Congress circles over the choice of candidate for the by poll.

While a member of Elangovan's family or deceased Everaa's family is touted to be the favourite to secure the ticket, Congress insiders suggest that the choices were limited in the political family as the former union minister's businessman-son Sampath was not keen on taking the political plunge till recently. Candidature of a seasoned Elangovan, who contested unsuccessfully from Theni in 2019 Parliamentary polls and who is eyeing his chances in next year's Lok Sabha poll, could disturb the Congress dynamics in the State Assembly as incumbent legislature party leader K Selvaperunthagai would be a relative junior to the former TNCC president.

By-poll was necessitated to the urban Erode East seat following the demise of Congress MLA Thirumagan Everaa.