District Congress leaders in Erode (East), Tamil Nadu, have expressed strong opposition to the nomination of Gopinath Palaniyappan as the party's candidate for the upcoming Assembly elections. Makkal G. Rajan, the former president of the Erode South District Congress Committee, stated that if Palaniyappan's nomination is not revoked, several party members may contest independently, risking a split in votes. The Congress party has recently seen success in the constituency, winning after 47 years when E. Thirumahan Everaa secured victory in 2021. Following Everaa's passing, E.V.K.S. Elangovan won the 2023 by-election. Rajan criticized the decision to nominate Palaniyappan, who was not among the five shortlisted candidates, and emphasized the demand for local representation. He accused the party leadership of a lack of transparency and warned that protests would persist if the nominee is not changed.