TN Congress Leaders Express Discontent Over Surrender of Erode East Assembly Seat to DMK

Chennai: The decision by the Tamil Nadu Congress leadership to relinquish the Erode East Assembly seat to the DMK for the upcoming by-election has sparked discontent among local Congress leaders and party cadres.

The by-election, scheduled for February 5, was necessitated by the demise of sitting MLA and former Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president E.V.K.S. Elangovan.

The Erode East constituency, a key seat for the Congress, has significant historical and political value, especially as Elangovan was a prominent Congress leader and the grandnephew of Dravidian movement founder Periyar E.V. Ramasamy.

Local Congress Leaders Voice Disappointment

Local Congress leaders and functionaries expressed their dissatisfaction with the decision, seeing it as a blow to the party’s identity and future prospects in the state.

“This seat is symbolic for the Congress and has a strong emotional connection with our cadre. Surrendering it now jeopardizes our chances of reclaiming it in 2026,” said R. Muthukrishnan, a Congress office-bearer from the region.

Background of Erode East and Congress’ Performance

The Erode East Assembly constituency was formed in 2008 and has been a contested seat since its first election in 2011.

Historically, the DMK struggled to secure a win from the constituency in the 2011 and 2016 elections. However, in 2021, the DMK allotted the seat to Congress as part of their coalition agreement, leading to a significant victory for the latter.

Congress candidate Thirumagan Everaa, the son of E.V.K.S. Elangovan, won the seat in 2021 with a margin of 8,904 votes, marking the first win for the DMK alliance in the constituency.

Following Thirumagan’s untimely death in 2023 due to a heart attack, his father Elangovan contested the by-election and achieved a landslide victory with a margin of 66,203 votes.

Party Cadres Question the Leadership’s Decision

K.N. Basha, Vice President of the Congress Minority Wing in Erode, stressed that the party’s right to the seat should have been upheld.

“The Congress secured this seat in 2021, and relinquishing it to the DMK now undermines our claim to the constituency in future elections. It weakens our presence in the region,” Basha remarked.

Erode District Congress President T. Thiruselvam shared that the decision might have been influenced by the anticipated challenges in the upcoming by-election. However, he admitted that the move has created widespread discontent among grassroots workers.

Coalition Dynamics and Electoral Strategy

In the 2021 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, Congress contested 25 seats as part of the DMK-led coalition, winning 18. The alliance’s win in Erode East was seen as a significant milestone.

Analysts suggest that the Congress leadership’s decision to cede the seat to DMK reflects concerns over the by-election’s competitiveness.

The DMK, with its broader organizational strength, may be better positioned to retain the seat amidst tough opposition.

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Implications for Future Elections

The discontent among local Congress leaders signals potential challenges for the party in maintaining its influence within the DMK-led alliance.

Many party members believe that relinquishing Erode East could weaken the Congress’ standing in Tamil Nadu and its ability to negotiate seat-sharing in the 2026 Assembly elections.

“It’s not just about one election. It’s about preserving the identity and legacy of the Congress in Tamil Nadu,” said a senior party leader on condition of anonymity