Voters waiting in line to cast their vote at a polling station in the Erode (East) Assembly constituency during the byelection, in Erode in Tamil Nadu on February 5, 2025
| Photo Credit: M. Govarthan
Polling began at 7 a.m. at 237 polling stations in the Erode (East) Assembly constituency on Wednesday (February 5, 2025). As of 5 p.m., the constituency recorded a voter turnout of 64.02%.
The byelection, necessitated by the death of Congress legislator E.V.K.S. Elangovan on December 14, 2024, has been boycotted by major political parties like the AIADMK and BJP. The DMK is facing off against Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK).
A total of 46 candidates, including DMK candidate V.C. Chandhirakumar and NTK candidate M.K. Seethalakshmi, are in the fray. A total of 2,27,546 electors, comprising 1,10,128 men, 1,17,381 women, and 37 transgender voters, are eligible to cast their vote in the constituency.
District Election Officer and Collector Raja Gopal Sunkara has said that voters who are unable to produce an Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) can show one of the 12 listed documents for identification while voting.
A total of nine polling booths have been identified as vulnerable, and additional security personnel have been deployed there. Apart from 1,500 police personnel, three companies of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel have deployed at the polling stations.
A total of 983 polling staff have been involved in conducting the poll. Webcasting is being carried out at all polling stations, while 237 micro observers are monitoring the polling process. The polling will continue until 6 p.m. The counting of votes will take place on February 8 at the Government College of Engineering, Chithode.
Published – February 05, 2025 09:38 am IST