Tamil Nadu Assembly polls: Congress functionaries stage protest seeking change of Erode (East) nominee

Members of the district Congress on Saturday (April 3, 2026) demanded a change of candidate for the Erode (East) Assembly constituency and staged a protest in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue at Karungalpalayam in the city.

The Congress had on Friday (April 3, 2026) announced Gopinath Palaniyappan as its candidate for the constituency. However, several party functionaries, including former district office-bearers, opposed the nomination of a Tiruppur-based candidate and urged the party leadership to give an opportunity to “sons of the soil”.

A peaceful protest was held near the statue under the leadership of Makkal G. Rajan, former president of the Erode South District Congress Committee, and councillor E.P. Ravi. The functionaries urged the party high command to reconsider the decision and change the candidate.

They said five long-serving party members from the district, who had expected to be nominated, were shortlisted by the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee. However, the announcement of Mr. Palaniyappan, who had held positions at the national level in the party, came as a shock to cadres and local leaders, Mr. Rajan said.

He said the protest was not against Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K. Selvaperunthagai, but against the committee and leadership that selected the candidate. He added that the nominee should have been considered for a constituency in Tiruppur district.

The functionaries said they were prepared to work for the party’s victory if the candidate was replaced by one among the five shortlisted aspirants. “Until a decision is taken by the leadership, the protest will continue,” they said.