LIVE: Erode East Assembly Bypoll Result: DMK's Chandrakumar Defeats NTK's Candidate

DMK's Chandrakumar has defeated NTK's Seethalakshmi by over 91558 votes in the Erode East bypoll.

He secured 91558 votes while his nearest rival garnered just 24151 votes. The election was held following the demise of senior Congress leader and MLA EVKS Elangovan.

Authorities declared nine booths as sensitive, leading to heightened security measures. Additional personnel, including State Police and Central Armed Police Forces, were deployed to ensure a smooth voting process.

Once polling concluded, all Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were transported to the Institute of Road and Transport Technology in Chitode, where counting will take place on February 8.

With 46 candidates in the fray-including 44 independents-the main contest is between ruling DMK's VC Chandirakumar and Naam Tamizhar Katchi's (NTK) M K Seethalakshmi. Major opposition parties, including the AIADMK, boycotted the polls.

Polling, which started at 7 AM and ended at 6 PM, saw a sluggish phase in the afternoon. By 1 PM, 42.41% of votes had been cast, crossing the 50% mark later in the day, according to District Collector and Election Officer Raja Gopal Sunkara.

However, the election was not without controversy. A woman alleged voter impersonation, preventing her from casting her vote. Meanwhile, accusations and counter-accusations between the ruling DMK and NTK led to brief tensions, including a road roko protest.