Kamal Haasan to campaign for DMK front candidate Elangovan in Erode on Feb 19

Congress leader Elangovan is pitted against the AIADMK's K S Thennarasu while Seeman's Naam Tamizhar Katchi and actor Vijayakanth's DMDK candidates are also in the fray.

Actor-politician Kamal Haasan will join the Erode East bypoll campaign on Sunday, canvassing for ruling DMK-headed Secular Progressive Alliance candidate EVKS Elangovan.

This will be the first time Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) is backing another party in an electoral contest since it has faced all polls, including the 2021 Assembly elections by itself since its founding in 2018.

Congress leader Elangovan is pitted against the AIADMK's K S Thennarasu while Seeman's Naam Tamizhar Katchi and actor Vijayakanth's DMDK candidates are also in the fray.

According to the itinerary released by MNM here, Haasan will hold campaign meetings in five locations later on Sunday.

The Congress candidate, father of Thirumahan Everaa whose death recently necessitated the bypoll, had earlier met Haasan and sought support following which MNM decided to back the former TNCC president.

Everaa, the great grandson of rationalist leader Periyar E V Ramasamy, was elected as MLA from the constituency in 2021.

The bypoll result will be seen as an indicator of the DMK government's performance and the electoral battle is being viewed as a direct contest between the ruling party and its archival, the K Palaniswami-led AIADMK.