DMK names nominees for Rajya Sabha bypolls to fill two vacancies from Tamil Nadu

The ruling DMK on Tuesday announced its candidates for the bypolls to two Rajya Sabha seats from Tamil Nadu for which election would be held on October 4, in the unlikely event of a contest.

The ruling DMK on Tuesday announced its candidates for the bypolls to two Rajya Sabha seats from Tamil Nadu for which election would be held on October 4, in the unlikely event of a contest. Daughter of late party veteran and former Union Minister N V N Somu, Dr Kanimozhi, an obstetrician and gynaecologist and party's in-charge for Namakkal-East District, K R N Rajeshkumar are the candidates, party president and Chief Minister M K Stalin announced.

In view of the strength of DMK and its allies, who together have 159 MLAs in the 234-member House and considering the voting exercise, which to be held separately for the two vacancies in the event of a contest, the ruling party's two candidates could win hands down. When the DMK's two nominees were elected, the party's strength in Rajya Sabha would go up to 10, from the current eight. The AIADMK has six members in the RS which includes its Puducherry MP, whose term would expire on October 6, 2021. The Election Commission has announced biennial election to the RS from Puducherry as well on October 4. The two vacancies were caused by the resignation of AIADMK's K P Munusamy and R Vaithilingam. The AIADMK and its allies together have 75 MLAs in the Assembly. The duo resigned their membership of the upper house after they won the April 6 Assembly polls, the results for which were declared on May 2. The AIADMK is unlikely to field candidates for bypolls to the two vacancies, sources indicated. On September 3, DMK nominee M Mohamed Abdulla was declared elected unopposed in the byelection for a RS seat which fell vacant due to the death of AIADMK member A Mohammedjan early this year.

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