With the declaration of results of the Lok Sabha polls, the focus of Tamil Nadu politics has now turned to the Rajya Sabha elections scheduled for June.
The tenure of AIADMK MPs V. Maitrayen, R. Lakshmanan, T. Rathinavel and K.R. Arjunan, DMK MP Kanimozhi and CPI MP Raja will get over on July 24.
A member needs 34 votes to get elected to the Rajya Sabha and the current strength of the AIADMK will not allow it to elect four members. Thus the party will only be able to send three members to the Upper House.
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On the other hand, the DMK, with its increased strength in the Assembly, can now elect three members to the Rajya Sabha. The opposition party has already promised to send MDMK general secretary Vaiko to the Rajya Sabha as part of a pre-poll alliance, while the ruling AIADMK has made a similar promise to the PMK as part of their pre-poll pact.
Since the PMK’s youth wing leader Anbumani Ramadoss could not retain his Dharmapuri Lok Sabha seat, he is likely to be the party’s choice under the AIADMK quota.
That leaves the two Dravidian parties with two more seats each to fill, and they are likely to announce their candidates soon.
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