How a Tamil nationalist party is upping the stakes in Erode East bypoll
Banking on anti-Periyar rhetoric, the Naam Tamizhar Katchi is vying to expand the base against the ruling DMK in preparation for the assembly elections in 2026
by Amarnath K. Menon · India TodayIn Short
- Naam Tamizhar Katchi (NTK) contests DMK in Erode East bypoll.
- AIADMK and BJP boycott the by-election, easing DMK's path.
- NTK's Seethalakshmi faces backlash for anti-Periyar stance.
The Tamil nationalist Naam Tamizhar Katchi (NTK), the only political party in the race against the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) for the February 5 Erode East assembly bypoll in Tamil Nadu, is determined to make a fight of it.
Both the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and BJP are boycotting the by-election, perhaps the last one before the assembly elections next year, and virtually treating victory in Erode East a cakewalk for the DMK.
The DMK has fielded V.C. Chandrakumar, a local leader who won the seat in 2011 as a candidate of the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK).
The DMK-led ruling alliance had won the seat in the assembly polls in 2021 and also in the bypoll in 2023, when E.K.V.S. Elangovan, as the Congress candidate, triumphed over his AIADMK and NTK rivals, who lost their deposits. However, the DMK decided to take over the seat from its ally, apparently in preparation for the 2026 polls.
While the ruling party has an advantage in a by-election, since voters generally do not take risks by electing an Opposition candidate, the AIADMK could have stamped its presence had it fought the Erode East bypoll in alliance with the BJP. Analysts point out that the absence of a strong alliance—rather than the ‘excesses of the ruling party’, as alleged by AIADMK general secretary and former chief minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami—is the reason behind the party’s boycott.
The NTK is, therefore, determined to make the most of what appears to be a straight fight with the DMK. When it announced its candidate, Seethalakshmi, on January 14, the Congress declared war on NTK chief coordinator Seeman for his repeated denigration of Periyar E.V. Ramasamy through his statements. Periyar, who hailed from Erode, was the grand uncle of Elangovan, whose death on December 14 necessitated the by-election.
Analysts point out that in such circumstances, the NTK’s candidate garnering support does not appear bright. Moreover, Congress activists in the constituency have threatened to stall Seeman’s campaign.
At the same time, NTK cadre and leaders are bound to step up the anti-Periyar rhetoric. This strategy and the fact that Seethalakshmi had contested elections in the past, even if she lost—Bhavani assembly seat in 2016, Gopi assembly constituency in 2021, Erode in the 2019 Lok Sabha and Tiruppur in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections—may fetch the NTK more votes than at any time in the past. Seethalakshmi is the state coordinator of the NTK women’s wing. However, the NTK has not won a single seat ever since it started contesting polls in 2016, in both Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, though it has improved its vote-share.
This is despite the NTK losing its earlier ‘sugarcane farmer’ symbol in the last elections as the party missed the last day for renewing it and then contested with the ‘microphone’ symbol. For the NTK, it cannot afford to finish behind any of the nine independent candidates who have already filed their papers.
Seeman hopes that supporters of parties that rival the DMK will back the NTK. While BJP activists may be at ease supporting someone who is anti-Periyar, the AIADMK can ill-afford to rally in a similar manner, considering that it has set its eyes on trying to dislodge the DMK in 2026. The fledgling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) of actor Vijay, which will contest elections only in 2026, is unlikely to endorse the NTK because Periyar is a demigod on the TVK firmament. And yet, performance in Erode East could be a defining moment for the NTK.