Erode East by-poll: AIADMK factions face off, BJP in wait-and-watch mode

The opposition AIADMK's discomfiture is likely to work in favour of the ruling DMK-backed Congress candidate, E V K S Elangovan, in the by-election.

Chennai, Feb 02: Amid a rift in the AIADMK, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has so far maintained silence over whom the party would support in the February 27 Erode East by-poll.

The BJP is in wait and watch mood till the AIADMK factions arrive at a consensus after both K Palaniswami and O Panneerselvam announced their respective candidates - K S Thennarasu and Senthil Murugan - on Wednesday.

Both the factions are contending for the party's Two Leaves symbol now. Asked if both the AIADMK camps were attempting to pressure the BJP to support their respective candidate, Panneerselvam said there was time till February 7, the last date for filing of nominations, for the BJP to respond.

"You can't force a party to support. We didn't get the official confirmation yet from the BJP leaders," Pannneerselvam said.

The rival AIADMK camp under Palaniswami too attempted to exert pressure on the BJP by putting up a banner at its election office proclaiming itself as National Democratic Progressive Alliance (NDPA) and retracting its decision rectifying the words on the banner as National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on the same day on Wednesday.

"You should ask them why the NDPA changed to NDA in the banner within six hours," BJP State chief K Annamalai said late Wednesday night.

"Our alliance is NDA. This is clear. Senior leaders from the AIADMK had called me and clarified that there has been a printing mistake," Annamalai said, when asked about the alliance issue figuring on AIADMK's official banner.

The opposition AIADMK's discomfiture is likely to work in favour of the ruling DMK-backed Congress candidate, E V K S Elangovan, in the by-election.

Meanwhile, expelled AIADMK leader TTV Dhinakaran is hectically campaigning for his party candidate Shiva Prasanth, who is contesting on the Pressure Cooker symbol.