Erode (East) bypoll | Leaders make tea, Minister prepares parotta and MLA rides camel during campaign

With less than two weeks left for polling to the Erode (East) Assembly constituency and political campaigning intensifying, DMK Ministers and former AIADMK Ministers are trying out various strategies to seek the attention of the electors.

On Tuesday, S. Chandran, DMK MLA from Tiruttani Assembly constituency, took a ride on a camel at Vandipettai in B.P. Agraharam while seeking votes for Congress candidate E.V.K.S. Elangovan, carrying both the DMK and Congress flags.

Minister for Minorities Welfare and Welfare for Non-Resident Tamils Gingee K.S. Masthan prepares dosa at a restaurant while campaigning for Erode (East) byelection on February 12, 2023. | Photo Credit: GOVARTHAN M

Minister for Minorities Welfare and Welfare for Non-Resident Tamils Gingee K.S. Masthan made parotta at a roadside eatery at Sampath Nagar, prepared tea at a stall and also tried his hands at a gym.

Former AIADMK Minister R.B. Udhayakumar also prepared tea at a stall and played the drums during the campaign.

DMDK deputy general secretary L.K. Sudhish seeking votes for the party’s candidate S. Anand by selling vegetables at a shop in Erode on February 14, 2023. | Photo Credit: GOVARTHAN M

L.K. Sudhish, DMDK deputy general secretary and brother-in-law of party founder Vijayakanth, sought votes by selling vegetables and preparing tea. Vijaya Prabhakaran, son of Vijayakanth, also played the drum, which is their party symbol.

The bypoll was necessitated by the death of former MLA E. Thirumahan Everaa and polling was scheduled for February 27. As many as 77 candidates are in the fray in the constituency, where Congress candidate Elangovan will have a direct face-off against the AIADMK’s K.S. Thennarasu.

Menaka Navaneethan of the Naam Tamilar Katchi and S. Anand of the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK) are the other contestants, apart from the independent candidates.