T.K. Rangarajan has been renominated as CPI(M) candidate for the Rajya Sabha elections from Tamil Nadu, State secretary G. Ramakrishnan announced on Thursday.
The CPI(M) has 10 members in the State Assembly and ally CPI 8. Mr. Rangarajan needs 16 more to win the election and the numbers will come from the ruling AIADMK and the Forward Bloc.
Mr. Ramakrishnan said the AIADMK has already announced 4 candidates and promised to offer support to Mr. Rangarajan, who was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2008 with the support of the DMK.
Mr. Ramakrishnan and the party’s legislative party leader A. Soundararajan and whip K. Balakrishnan on Tuesday met Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and sought support for their candidate.
Asked whether the CPI(M) would be part of the AIADMK alliance for the Lok Sabha polls, he said his party along with all Left parties were interested in the alliance.
“But we have not held any formal talks,” he said
The DMK has nominated former MP Tiruchi N. Siva as its candidate in the polls.
