The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee is expected to field Sanjay Sampath, son of former TNCC president E.V.K.S. Elangovan and brother of the deceased Erode East MLA, E. Thirumahan Everaa, for the February 27 byelection in the constituency.
According to party sources, Mr. Elangovan has reportedly ruled himself out, leaving Mr. Sanjay Sampath as the overwhelming favourite.
A senior leader said the party was expected to nominate Mr. Sanjay, who is the great grandson of Periyar E V Ramasamy “as it wants to honour the political legacy of Periyar’s and E.V.K. Sampath’s family.”
Furthermore, a senior leader said, nominating Mr. Sanjay with a weighty political capital was necessary to ensure that the Congress retained the seat.
With the Tamil Manila Congress, whose candidate M. Yuvaraja contested against Thirumahan and lost in 2021, agreeing to sit the byelection out and agreeing to the AIADMK nominating its own candidate, the Congress could face a keenly watched contest.
Published - January 21, 2023 06:28 am IST
