Erode East bypoll: Glee at DMK, Congress headquarters

CHENNAI: There was jubilation at Anna Arivalayam, the headquarters of the DMK, and Sathyamurthy Bhavan, the headquarters of ally Congress, even as the party office of AIADMK in Chennai wore a deserted look on Thursday.
Cadres of the DMK and Congress started bursting crackers right from the morning as early rounds of counting suggested a clear lead for Congress candidate E V K S Elangovan.
DMK, Congress and other allies of the ruling dispensation claimed that the byelection verdict was an endorsement of the DMK government and that the alliance would continue its winning streak in the 2024 parliamentary elections. The good governance given by chief minister M K Stalin has won the hearts of the people, which has helped Elangovan win with a massive margin, TNCC president K S Alagiri said.
Senior Congress leader Peter Alphonse too credited the victory to Stalin and said the Erode East byelection result was a precursor to the 2024 Lok Sabha election. CPI state secretary R Mutharsan said the result was a certificate of appreciation given to the DMK government by the people.
State sports minister Udhayanidhi Stalin said the result was a foregone conclusion. MDMK leader Durai Vaiko urged Stalin to focus more on national politics. "BJP is indulging in anti-democratic activities. This should be stopped," he said.
State BJP chief K Annamalai said the result cannot be construed as validation of the DMK government's performance. "We accept people's verdict. But the result cannot be considered as an endorsement of the DMK government. All the byelections favour the ruling party," he said. "2024 Lok Sabha election is our only focus."
TMC president G K Vasan on Thursday said the 'money power' has prevailed over democracy in the Erode East byelection. In a statement issued on Thursday, V K Sasikala has urged the AIADMK cadres not to be disheartened by the results of the Erode East byelections. "Be positive and we will soon see good results," she said.