Tamil Nadu Law Minister highlights DMK's dominant win in Erode East bypoll with 74.7% vote share, suggests AIADMK's declining influence under EPS leadership amid opposition boycott.

The DMK government in Tamil Nadu asserts a significant shift in voter allegiance following their commanding victory in the Erode East Assembly bypoll. Law Minister S Regupathy points to this win as evidence of AIADMK's diminishing influence under E.K. Palaniswami's leadership.

DMK candidate V.C. Chandhirakumar secured a decisive victory with 1,15,709 votes (74.7%), while Naam Tamizhar Katchi's M.K. Seethalakshmi finished second with 24,151 votes (15.59%). The AIADMK and BJP notably abstained from the February 5 contest.

Comparing recent electoral data, Regupathy highlighted AIADMK's decline from their 29.79% vote share in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls to their current absence, suggesting these voters now support the DMK. He attributed this shift to Chief Minister M.K. Stalin's "Dravidian model of governance."

Addressing the caste census issue, Regupathy clarified that such initiatives fall under federal jurisdiction, noting that state-led efforts would lack legal standing and risk Supreme Court intervention.