CHENNAI: The DMK on Monday announced its candidates for the ensuing Rajya Sabha (RS) election. Party president M.K. Stalin said DMK was fielding senior advocate P. Wilson and party's trade union wing, Labour Progressive Front (LPF) general secretary M. Shanmugam for the two of the three seats it is contesting.
The other seat which the DMK can easily win has been allocated to the MDMK for its general secretary Vaiko as per the seat-sharing agreement during the recent Parliament election. He will now be back in Parliament after a hiatus of 15 years-his last term in Lok Sabha was during 1999-2004 as a member of the DMK-BJP alliance.
The RS election is being held to fill the vacancies caused by retirement of six members from Tamil Nadu, namely, T. Rathinavel, V. Maitreyan, K.B. Arjunan, R. Lakshmanan, (all AIADMK) D. Raja (CPI) and the other vacancy caused due to resignation of Kanimozhi (DMK) following her election to the Lok Sabha.
As per the existing strength in the State Assembly, AIADMK has got 123 MLAs and DMK has 100 MLAs, which means that each of the Dravidian majors can get three members elected to the Upper House from the state.
DMK sources said Shanmugam became a natural choice with his impressive track record of steering several labour related issues, such as the recent stir at the Royal Enfield and Yamaha factories. Besides, he has been closely involved in maintaining Stalin's Kolathur constituency with a large presence of trade unions.
As for the second seat, party sources said advocate N.R. Elango was also an aspirant but the final choice fell upon Wilson in acknowledgement of the many legal battles he had won, including the fight in the high court for the Marina burial of leader Karunanidhi, they said.
The AIADMK is yet to announce its nominees for the RS poll. Later in the evening, Fisheries minister D. Jayakumar said that his party was allotting one seat to the PMK as per the understanding reached during the Lok Sabha polls seat-sharing. The AIADMK would soon announce its two other nominees for RS poll.
It is said that there is 'fierce' competition and multiple claims in the AIADMK for the two RS seats. Aspirants include M. Thambidurai (former Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha), former ministers Natham R. Viswanathan, K. P. Munusamy, Gokula Indira, Rajya Sabha MP Dr V. Maitreyan, N. Thalavai Sundaram and A. Anwhar Raajhaa, ex-MP.
According to the EC's notification, the nomination for the RS election commences on Monday. The last date for filing nomination papers is July 8. The last date for withdrawal of nominations is July 11. If necessary, election will be held on July 18.
On the first day of filing nominations, Padmarajan, Independent candidate, filed his nomination papers for the RS election. No MLA has proposed his nomination. "For Guinness record I am doing this; this is my 203rd election and for the 41st time filing for the RS election," boasted the man.
