In the midst of the political heat in the Erode East bypoll, Naam Tamilar Katchi's (NTK) Chief Coordinator Seeman has for the first time publicly claimed that deceased Congress MLA Thirumahan Everaa came to him to join his party and that no one was aware of it. His remark that has come nearly a month after Thirumahan's death has turned heads from across and beyond the states.

Congress MLA of Erode East, Thirumahan Everaa was the son of veteran Congress leader and former Union Minister EVKS Elangovan and the great-grandson of Thanthai Periyar. Thirumahan had died on January 4 at the age of 46 due to heart attack and his shocking demise has necessitated the bypoll in the Erode East constituency and the voting will be held on February 27. As the bypoll is just weeks away, the political parties are beefing up their campaigns. 

While the ruling DMK has announced that its ally Congress would contest in the bypoll with Thirumahan's father EVKS Elangovan as its candidate, the opposition is yet to reach a political consensus. On the other hand, the parties like Vijayakanth's DMDK, TTV Dhinakaran's AMMK, and Seeman's NTK have announced that they will contest independently in the polls and they have also announced their candidates. Seeman has said that his party will field NTK functionary Menaga Navaneethan as his party's candidate. 

As NTK has secured 10,021 votes and finished third in the race in the 2021 assembly polls in Erode East, the party hopes to be a competitive contender in the upcoming bypoll. On Monday, NTK has organized an event in Erode to introduce its candidate to the voters. After introducing the candidate, Seeman had addressed the gathering during which he said that Thirumahan Everaa came to him first to join his party and that he finally decided to join the Congress. 

In his speech, Seeman said, "I like Thirumahan. I am going to share a news what no one knows. Thirumahan came to me first to join in our party. Then, I don't know what his father Elangovan told him, he told me that he is not going to join our party. I told him to stay at the Congress. His death pains me and I also shared my pain with EVKS Elangovan. Thirumahan was people's representative for the past one-and-a-half-years, but has he solved issues faced by the people? As he didn't solve, what his father EVKS Elangovan can do. He was the former Union Minister and as he didn't do anything while he was the minister, what he is going to do this time for the Erode East constituency."