Vijay's party announces boycott of Erode East bypoll

Chennai

Actor-politician Vijay's party, Tamizhaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK), announced on Friday that it will boycott the upcoming Erode East Assembly bypoll, scheduled for February 5. This decision follows similar moves by key opposition parties such as AIADMK, BJP, and DMDK.

TVK general secretary N Anand stated that historical trends show that ruling parties often manipulate bypolls using "anti-democratic" tactics, leading to unfair victories. He further claimed that abuse of power is even more prevalent during bypolls compared to general elections. Given this, TVK decided to take the same stance it did during the Vikravandi bypoll, opting to boycott the election and refrain from supporting any political party.

The Erode East seat became vacant after the passing of Congress leader EVKS Elangovan in December 2024. Tamil Nadu’s ruling DMK has fielded former legislator V C Chandrakumar, while Naam Tamizhar Katchi, led by Seeman, has named Seethalakshmi as its candidate. The bypoll follows a recent pattern of politically charged contests, where opposition parties have been vocal in their criticism of the electoral process.