Chennai, Feb 18 The Election Commission has announced the schedule for elections to six vacant Rajya Sabha seats from Tamil Nadu, setting the stage for renewed political negotiations in the state ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.
According to the notification, the filing of nominations for the Rajya Sabha elections will begin on February 26, with March 5 being the last date for submission of nomination papers.
The elections will be held on March 16, along with polls to Rajya Sabha seats falling vacant in nine other states.
In Tamil Nadu, the six seats that are set to fall vacant on April 2 are currently held by four members of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) -- Trichy Siva, N.R. Elangovan, Kanimozhi Somu and Selvaraj -- and two members from the AIADMK -- M. Thambidurai and G.K. Vasan.
With their terms coming to an end, both major Dravidian parties are expected to announce their candidates shortly.
The Rajya Sabha elections assume added significance as Tamil Nadu is heading into Assembly polls later this year.
Political parties are simultaneously engaged in seat-sharing negotiations for both the parliamentary Upper House and the Assembly constituencies.
The Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), which is yet to formally announce its alliance decision, is reportedly seeking a Rajya Sabha berth as part of its negotiations.
Sources indicate that the allocation of a Rajya Sabha seat could influence broader seat-sharing arrangements for the Assembly elections.
The AIADMK-led alliance is said to be keen on finalising seat-sharing arrangements before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to Tamil Nadu on March 1.
However, reports suggest that if the DMDK formally joins the alliance, discussions over seat allocation may be revisited and adjusted accordingly.
With the electoral calendar now set, the coming weeks are expected to witness intense political activity, as parties weigh strategic calculations and alliance dynamics in preparation for both the Rajya Sabha elections and the high-stakes Assembly contest.
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