Erode East Bypolls 2023 Updates: Turnout nearly 75 per cent, peaceful
THE TIMES OF INDIA | Feb 27, 2023, 23:12:01 IST

Erode East Bypolls 2023 Updates: Turnout nearly 75 per cent, peaceful

Nearly 75 percent of the 2.27 lakh voters cast their votes in the Erode East by-election held in Tamil Nadu on Monday and the polling exercise was peaceful, authorities said. Stay with TOI for all updates:
22:39 (IST) Feb 27

Erode East bypoll turnout nearly 75 per cent, peaceful

Nearly 75 percent of the 2.27 lakh voters cast their votes in the Erode East by-election held in Tamil Nadu on Monday and the polling exercise was peaceful, authorities said.

19:33 (IST) Feb 27

So far, 1,69 lakh casted their votes including 82,021 males, 87,907 females and 17 transgender exercised their voting rights.

19:32 (IST) Feb 27

Till 7pm, 74.69% voter turnout recorded in Erode East Assembly bypolls in Tamil Nadu.

18:26 (IST) Feb 27

A few voters who came late to the polling booths, argued with the police men after they denied entry. However the police men overpowered and closed the main gates of the booths after clearing the crowd.

18:09 (IST) Feb 27

The election department officials issued tokens to the voters waiting on the booth premises. They also refused entry to others who came to the polling booths beyond 6pm. The returning officer R Sivakumar told TOI that the voters who has the tokens will be allowed to cast their votes. The returning officer also said that the voters queue is found only in a few booths while polling completed in many of the booths.

17:21 (IST) Feb 27

Till 5 pm, 70.58% voter turnout recorded in Erode East Assembly bypolls in Tamil Nadu.

15:50 (IST) Feb 27

Till 3 pm, 59.22% voter turnout recorded in Erode East Assembly bypolls in Tamil Nadu.

15:01 (IST) Feb 27

Differently abled and aged voters were provided wheelchair assistance when they come to the polling booths.

Differently abled and aged voters were provided wheelchair assistance when they come to the polling booths.
14:10 (IST) Feb 27

Erode Byelection: Earlier, AIADMK former MLA IS Inbadurai alleged that the ink can be wiped off easily. He also lodged a petition with the ECI.

14:10 (IST) Feb 27

Erode East Byelection: Explaining the "ink" related issue raised by the AIADMK party, the returning officer R Sivakumar told TOI that they are using ECI supplied ink which specially made for the election. He personally inquired a few voters and he didn't find any fault in it.

13:42 (IST) Feb 27

Erode Bypoll 2023 Live: Erode district police personnel warned the various political party cadres who came from other districts, to vacate the service apartments in which they were residing at the earliest. They also made an announcement using their mikes at Periyar Nagar area in the constituency on Monday.

13:32 (IST) Feb 27

Erode East bypoll polling percentage till 1pm: 44.56%.

As many as 1,01,392 including 49,740 males and 51,649 females and 3 transgender voters have franchised their votes in Erode East constituency.

13:15 (IST) Feb 27

Erode Bypoll 2023: Denied drinking water, voters organised sit-in protest outside polling booth in Karungalpalayam area

Voters involved sit-in protest outside the polling booth at Kamaraj nagar in Karungalpalayam area after they were not given drinking water. The voters claimed that they were standing in the queue for two hours and the booth officials did not arrange for water even after they informed them. Police officials pacified them. Meanwhile the corporation officials arranged drinking water for the voters.

13:13 (IST) Feb 27

Lunch brought for the corporation officials in the garbage collection vehicle at Erode municipal corporation

Lunch brought for the corporation officials in the garbage collection vehicle at Erode municipal corporation
11:53 (IST) Feb 27

Erode Election 2023: Polling was halted for nearly 45 minutes at booth no. 45 in Veerappanchatram area after the EVM developed technical snag. The officials replaced a new one and started the polling.

11:53 (IST) Feb 27

Erode East Bypoll: Modakkurichi BJP MLA C Saraswathi shows her index finger after franchised her voting right

Erode East Bypoll: Modakkurichi BJP MLA C Saraswathi shows her index finger after franchised her voting right
11:52 (IST) Feb 27

Erode Bypoll Live: Five EVMs replaced by the election officials in various polling booths after they developed technical snag. "We have replaced a new one immediately and the polling resumed after a few minutes of break," said district election officer and the district collector H Krishnanunni.

11:52 (IST) Feb 27

Police men cleared DMK and AIADMK party cadres after they had shown their party symbols to the voters close to the polling booth at Periyar nagar in Erode east constituency.

11:41 (IST) Feb 27

Erode Bypolls 2023: A total of 63,469 voters casted their votes till 11am. Of them, 30,907 males and 32,562 females.

11:31 (IST) Feb 27

Erode East bypoll: 27.89% polling recorded till 11am

10:43 (IST) Feb 27

I believe I will win this election by a margin of 25,000 votes. Polling is going on peacfully

AIADMK candidate KS Thennarasu

10:43 (IST) Feb 27

Erode East bypoll: Following complaints by the voters that they don't have proper pathway to enter into the polling booth at Veerappanchatram, the election officials filled the pathway with soil using the earthmover.

10:19 (IST) Feb 27

Erode East bypoll: 10.10% polling recorded till 9am

09:55 (IST) Feb 27

Tamil Nadu: AIADMK candidate for Erode East bypoll KS Thennarasu casts his vote

Tamil Nadu: AIADMK candidate for Erode East bypoll KS Thennarasu casts his vote
09:41 (IST) Feb 27

Tamil Nadu: DMK backed Congress candidate from Erode-East, EVKS Elangovan, casts his vote in bypoll

Tamil Nadu: DMK backed Congress candidate from Erode-East, EVKS Elangovan, casts his vote in bypoll
09:40 (IST) Feb 27

Erode East bypoll: Voters stand in a queue at a polling centre at Kacheri Street

09:04 (IST) Feb 27

TN: Bypoll for prized Erode Assembly seat under way, tight race between Cong, AIADMK could decide outcome

Voting for the Erode East Assembly by-election began at Mahajana school, Agrahara street on Monday.The polling for tightly-contested Erode East bypoll began at 7 am.Significantly, a total 77 candidates across political affiliations are vying for the prized Assembly constituency.However, the bypoll is being essentially seen as a tight race between Congress candidate EVKS Elangovan and AIADMK's Thennarasu.Elangovan is contesting the bypoll with support of the DMK, which is also the Congress' bigger partner in the ruling alliance. (ANI)

08:51 (IST) Feb 27

Visuals from the election control room in Erode.

08:45 (IST) Feb 27

Mobile phones not allowed inside polling booth: Officials

The officials at the polling centres refused the voters to take their mobile phones inside the booth. Heated arguments exchanged between the voters and the officials in several places. However, the officials did not allow the voters with their mobile phones.

08:44 (IST) Feb 27

Polling booth officer refuses voters to cast vote who failed to bring their Epic card

A polling booth officer at Agraharam area in Erode east constituency, refused voters if they failed to bring their Epic card. The voters argued the officer citing ECI's direction to bring any of the government issued IDs such as driving licence, pan card etc., Talks going on between the voters and the officials.

08:32 (IST) Feb 27

Erode Bypoll: Election department officials stopped DMDK candidate S Ananth after he enter the polling booth by wearing his party symbol dhoti. He was requested to change the dhoti after which he changed the dhoti. Then they allowed him to exercise his voting right.

08:03 (IST) Feb 27

Erode Bypolls 2023 Live: WATCH | Polling staff at Mahajana school at Agrahara Street help an elderly woman as she arrives to cast vote for Erode East byelection

07:42 (IST) Feb 27

Erode East bypoll: Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) candidate Menaka Navaneethan casts her vote

Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) candidate Menaka Navaneethan casted her votes at Kalaimagal school in the constituency. She hoped that her winning chance is looking bright.

07:38 (IST) Feb 27

Erode East: 1,500 police personnel on bypoll duty

As many as 1500 police personnel including 693 para military forces deployed to keep the situation under control. As many as 1206 officials from Erode municipal corporation and the district administration are involved in the election duty.

07:35 (IST) Feb 27

238 polling booths set up for bypoll

A total of 238 polling booths were set up for this by-election across the Erode East constituency. The Election Commission of India used five electronic voting machines in each polling booth after 77 candidates contesting in the byelection.

07:34 (IST) Feb 27

Erode East byelection: 2.27 lakh voters to exercise franchise

As many as 2.27 lakh voters including 1.11 lakh male voters, 1.16 lakh female voters and and 25 transgender are eligible to cast their votes in the Erode East constituency.

07:33 (IST) Feb 27

Erode East bypoll: 77 candidates in fray

A total of 77 candidates including Congress party candidate EVKS Elangovan, AIADMK party candidate KS Thennarasu, NTK party candidate Menaka Navaneethan, DMDK candidate S Ananth are in the turf.

07:12 (IST) Feb 27

Tamil Nadu| Voting begins for Erode East bypolls

Tamil Nadu| Voting begins for Erode East bypolls

Visuals from Mahajana school, Agrahara street, polling booth no. 170 (ANI)

07:04 (IST) Feb 27

A Arunachalam made Makkal Needhi Maiyam general secretary once again

The Makkal Needhi Maiyam executive committee, which met on Sunday, reappointed A Arunachalam as the party general secretary. MNM president Kamal Haasan presided over the meeting.Arunachalam, who was appointed general secretary when the party was formed in 2018, quit soon after. After rejoining it, Arunachalam had spearheaded the MNM's participation in Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra and now the campaign for the Erode East constituency bypoll.

07:00 (IST) Feb 27

32 polling booths in Erode East classified as vulnerable

There are 238 polling booths in Erode East out of which 32 are classified as vulnerable . On Sunday, the electronic voting machines were sent to the booths in 20 vehicles fitted with GPS, escorted by police, paramilitary personnel and zonal election officers. Each booth wi ll have five EVMs to accommodatethe names of 77 candidates plus one button for NOTA.

06:59 (IST) Feb 27

Besides those from Erode, police personnel drawn from neighbouring districts like Coimbatore and Tirupur have also been deployed. “Addi tional security would be provided to vulnerable polling booths,” said district election officer Krishnan Unni.

06:58 (IST) Feb 27

Security upped across Erode East for bypoll

More than 3000 police personnel have been deployed across Erode East assembly constituency to ensure incident free polling on Monday. Voting will begin at 7am and end at 6pm. Counting has been scheduled on March 2. There are 238 polling booths in Erode East out of which 32 are classified as vulnerable booths.

06:57 (IST) Feb 27

All set for Erode East bypoll

The stage is set for the bypoll to the Erode (East) Assembly constituency on Monday which pits the Congress backed by the ruling DMK against the opposition AIADMK. The bypoll was necessitated due to the demise of sitting legislator E Thirumahan Everaa, son of Congress leader and former Union Minister E V K S Elangovan, who is the ruling combine's candidate.Elangovan is pitted against AIADMK's K Thennarasu, a former legislator.

06:55 (IST) Feb 27

Tamil Nadu: Mock poll begins for Erode East bypolls

Tamil Nadu: Mock poll begins for Erode East bypolls

The officials on Monday conducted the mock poll to check the EVMs, in front of the political party booth agents at 6 am.