Finally, after remaining tight-lipped for weeks, Tamil Nadu BJP President Annamalai has on Tuesday divulged the party's stand in the Erode East bypoll. His announcement has come a day after the candidacy-clash between the ADMK's rivals Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) and O Panneerselvam (OPS) came to an end with EPS winning the party's Two Leaves symbol with his candidate Thennarasu will be the ADMK's candidate in the Erode East bypoll. 

On Monday, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has allotted Two Leaves symbol to EPS in the bypoll. Though Annamalai said that BJP won't be contesting in the bypoll, the saffron party was making headlines after both the OPS and EPS factions met Annamalai and sought BJP's support for their candidates. As ADMK has announced its candidate, Annamalai has on Tuesday announced the party's stand that BJP would extend its full cooperation and support to Thennarasu, the ADMK candidate fielded by EPS. 

Annamalai further said that the party would work tirelessly to ensure that the alliance party's candidate will emerge victorious in the bypoll. In a statement, Annamalai said that the victory in the bypoll would set the trend for the success of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. He instructed the party cadres to work tirelessly to achieve the victory. He also asked the cadres to fight against the ruling DMK's money power and misuse of government's missionaries to ensure their victory. 

He also thanked ADMK leader EPS for fielding an official candidate in the party's 'Two Leaves' symbol and also thanked EPS's rival OPS for withdrawing his candidate, Senthil Murugan, from the race. Last week, Annamalai and BJP's Tamil Nadu incharge CT Ravi had met EPS and OPS to resolve their tussle and field a common candidate. Earlier, Annamalai had also urged OPS to withdraw his candidate and support the candidate nominated by EPS.

The filing of nominations for the Erode East bypoll had begun on January 31 and will end on Tuesday - February 7. The nominations would be scrutinised on February 8 and the last date for withdrawing nomination is on February 10. The polling will take place on February 27 and the results would be declared on March 2. On the other side of the aisle, the ruling DMK has let the Congress to contest in the bypoll.

The Congress party has announced former Union Minister EVKS Elangovan as its candidate. Elangovan is the father of Congress MLA Thirumahan Everaa, whose demise had necessitated the bypoll. Everaa had died on January 4 at the age of 46 due to heart attack. Besides DMK and ADMK, the parties like TTV Dhinakaran's AMMK, Vijayakanth's DMDK, and Seeman's Naam Tamilar Katchi had also fielded the candidates.