ERODE/CHENNAI: The DMK-led Secular Progressive Alliance’s (SPA) aggressive campaign seems to have played a crucial role in securing a massive victory in the Erode East by-election.
DMK strongmen in Erode and Minister for Housing and Urban Development S Muthusamy attributed the victory to schemes implemented by Chief Minister MK Stalin. He said it has instilled confidence in the people that the DMK government worked hard to fulfil their promises. Furthermore, he said the allocation of more funds to solve various problems in the Erode Corporation by the Chief Minister increased people’s confidence in the alliance.
KN Badshah, minority wing district vice president of Congress, said they started campaigning within two days of the announcement of the by-election. All DMK ministers, Congress party leaders, and alliance party leaders campaigned continuously and met voters multiple times.
On the other hand, AIADMK was plagued by internal issues which resulted in the delayed announcement of the candidate. AIADMK also had a shorter campaign period than the SPA candidate. By the time the AIADMK candidate filed the nomination and started the campaign, the DMK-Congress alliance had completed two phases of campaign. Some ex-ministers were involved in the AIADMK campaign, but the scale of AIADMK’s campaign was nothing compared to SPA’s.
Furthermore, there were reports of an unprecedented shower of gifts for voters, including cash, smartwatches, sarees, and even meat by various parties. Some voters were allegedly paid by certain parties to sit in sheds to make sure they don’t take part in meetings of the opponent’s campaigns.
Speaking to reporters in Erode, AIADMK candidate KS Thennarasu claimed “money has won” in the by-election, and that democracy has lost.
Political analyst Tharasu Shyam said the result of the by-election underscores the importance of unity in AIADMK. “During the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the AIADMK secured 29.3% of the votes polled in Erode East Assembly segment, and this could be taken as the core vote bank of the party in that constituency, since AIADMK was united then and was in power in the state. In this bypoll, AIADMK’s vote base has eroded,” he said.
AIADMK has faced this defeat despite being given the Two Leaves symbol and all other contenders - OPS and AMMK kept away from the election. EVKS Elangovan who faced defeat at the hands of OPS’s son P Ravindranath in the Theni parliamentary constituency in 2019, now won with a huge margin in the Kongu belt where EPS is believed to have strong support. All these factors underscore the importance of unity in the AIADMK.
Further, the claim of the state BJP that it is growing under the leadership of K Annamalai is yet to be proven. Had this party’s vote bank grown in Erode East, it should have been transferred to the AIADMK in this by-election and this seems to have not taken place.
BJP state general secretary Raama Sreenivaasan said during 2006-11, the DMK won all by-elections but in the 2011 Assembly elections, the AIADMK led by J Jayalalithaa won and came to power. Similarly, in the past also, AIADMK won by-elections during its tenure but failed to win the general elections to the Assembly.
“So, the results of the by-elections would not have an impact on the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Further, the result of this by-election did not send any political message; instead, it sent a commercial message -that is, the highest bidder who gives the highest amount to the people would win,” he added.