DMK’s ally MDMK on Tuesday picked party’s general secretary Vaiko as its nominee for the Upper House of the Parliament from Tamil Nadu where polls are slated for July 18. Vaiko’s name was decided after the party held its high-level meeting. A resolution for the same was adopted in the meeting.
The lone seat was allocated to MDMK under the poll pact with DMK before the national polls. for the July 18 Rajya Sabha polls.
MDMK’s Vaiko is a staunch supporter of the cause of Tamils in Sri Lanka. He was earlier associated DMK and was a member of the Upper House from DMK Quota from the year from 1978 to 1996.
The Election Commission of India had on June 27 announced the biennial elections to 6 Rajya Sabha Seat of Tamil Nadu. The election will be held on July 18 to fill the vacancies arises due to the retirement of 5 Rajya Sabha MPs while one vacancy was created due to the election of DMK’s Kanimozhi 17th Lok Sabha.
Of the six Rajya Sabha vacancies from Tamil Nadu, as per the current strength of parties in Assembly, especially the ruling AIADMK and the main Opposition DMK, both can get elected three of their candidates in the elections.
In Tamil Nadu Assembly, the AIADMK has 123 MLAs including the speaker. While MK Stalin‘s DMK has 100 MLAs, its allies – Congress and IUML- have seven and one seats respectively in the 234-member House.
READ: Election Commission announces the date for the election to 6 Rajya Sabha Seats of Tamil Nadu
DMK has earlier announced former Tamil Nadu Additional Advocate General P Wilson and M Shanmugam, the general secretary of its trade union wing, as its nominees for the Rajya Sabha polls.
While the AIADMK has yet not made any officials. However, the names of party’s senior leader K P Munusamy and party veteran Tamil Magan Hussain are taking rounds for the Rajya Sabha polls.
The ruling party has promised one Rajya Sabha seat to its partner PMK in a pre-poll agreement.
As per the schedule issued by the poll body, the election has already been issued on July 1 and the last date to file nominations is July 8. The election for 6 seats of the Upper House will be held on July 18.
In the last month concluded national polls, DMK who led the Secular Progressive Alliance of which Congress, communist parties, Vaiko’s MDMK and Dalit outfit VCK were a part, had won 38 of the 39 Parliamentary seats that went to polls in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.
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