Chennai, Jan 11 (Reporter) The ruling DMK on Saturday morning announced party's Propoganda Joint Secretary V C Chandrakumar as the candidate for the February five bypoll to the Erode East Assembly constituency. This followed talks the DMK had with the Congress, which had earlier held the seat in 2021 and 2023, and after reaching an unanimous decision between them keeping in mind the ensuing 2026 Assembly elections. In a statement here, DMK President and Chief Minister M K Stalin announced that Mr Chandrakumar has been appointed as the DMK candidate with the support of the allies of the DMK-led Front. In a late last night development, the Congress party, despite having held the seat twice in 2021 and 2023, decided not to contest the bypoll and conceded 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. In a statement, TNCC President K Selvaperunthagai, who is also the Congress Legislature Party Leader in the State Assembly, said the DMK, which is heading the alliance in the State, would contest the bypoll, though Congress had held it in 2021 and 2023. 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. He also appealed to all the Congress cadres to strive hard and ensure that the DMK candidate wins the bypoll by a big margin. 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 decided to give it to the DMK...////...