Chennai, Jan 18 (Reporter) The nomination papers of 55 of the 65 candidates were found to be in order and accepted during scrutiny on Saturday for the February 5 bypoll to the Erode East Assembly constituency in Tamil Nadu. While the nominations of the DMK and NTK candidates, the main contestants in fray, were found to be in order and accepted, the papers of 10 candidates were rejected on scrutiny, Election Commission said in an update. The exact number of candidates in fray would be known after the withdrawals on Monday. Apart from the candidates of the ruling DMK and the Naam Tamizhar Katchi (NTK), a total of 55 candidates have filed their papers on the last day for filing of nominations yesterday. Of the total 65 candidates who have filed their papers, ten of them were women, Election Commission said and ten were rejected on scrutiny. Yesterday DMK Assistant Propaganda Secretary V C Chandrakumar, who had joined the party in 2016 after he quit the actor-politician Vijayakanth-led DMDK and NTK candidate, M K Seethalakshmi, also the party's Women's Wing Coordinator, filed their nomination papers before the Returning Officer and Erode Corporation Commissioner N Manish. Polling will take place on February five and counting of votes on February 8. With the major Opposition parties, including the AIADMK, its ally the DMDK, the BJP-led NDA and the the nascent Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) of actor-politicia Vijay deciding to boycott the polls alleging that going by the past experience the elections would not be held in a free and fair manner as the DMK would unleash its money power and misuse the official machinery, the bypoll will witness a straight contest between the DMK and the NTK. Though the Congress had held the seat in 2021 and 2023, it had conceded the seat to the DMK on a request from DMK President and Chief Minister M K Stalin. This followed talks the DMK had with the Congress and after reaching an unanimous decision between them keeping in mind the ensuing 2026 Assembly elections, following which Mr Stalin announced Chandrakumar as the candidate for the bypoll with the support of the allies of the DMK-led Front. According to TNCC President K Selvaperunthagai, who is also the Congress Legislature Party Leader in the State Assembly, the Congress party decided not to contest the bypoll and gave the seat to the DMK, which is heading the INDIA bloc in Tamil Nadu, on a first time request from Mr Stalin citing the ensuing 2026 Assembly polls. "On a request from Mr Stalin, who is heading the INDIA alliance bloc in the State, and after holding discussions with the Congress High Command and State party office-bearers, it was unanimously decided that the DMK would contest the bypoll", he said. The bypoll, the second in two years, was necessitated following the death of Senior Congress Leader and sitting MLA EVKS Elangovan in December last year. This is the third election to this seat since 2021 in which Mr Elangovan's son Thiru Mahan E.Ve.Ra was elected to the Assembly for the first time. However, his untimely death resulted in bypoll held on February 28, 2023 and it was won by Mr Elangovan, who is also a former Union Minister and former TNCC President, by highest ever margin of over 66,000 votes and entered the State Assembly after a gap of 39 years. However, Mr Elangovan's unfortunate death last month, has now resulted in yet another bypoll to the seat, which the Congress gave it to the DMK...////...