4 AIADMK, 2 DMK MPs set to be elected to RS from TN

Six nominees, four from the ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) and two from the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), are all set to be elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha as there are no other contenders in the fray with the rejection of seven nominations of independents on Wednesday.

Nomination papers of  the AIADMK nominees R Vaithilingam, A Navaneethakrishnan, A Vijayakumar, former Union Minister S R Balasubramoniyan, and those of the DMK nominees R S Bharathi and T K S Elangovan  were valid and accepted, the Tamil Nadu Assembly Secretary and Returning Officer (Biennal Elections), A M P Jamaludeen said here today in an official release.

With the election of four MPs, the strength of the ruling AIADMK will go up to 12 from the present 11 in the Rajya Sabha. There will be no change in the number of the DMK MPs which will continue to be four.

From Tamil Nadu, Congress Party will have no representation in the Upper House.

The elections were called to fill vacancies of six MPs to RS from Tamil Nadu.

The terms of the AIADMK's Navaneethakrishnan, A W Rabi Bernard and P H Paul Manoj Pandian, and the DMK's K P Ramalingam and S Thangavelu, and the former Union Minister and the Congress leader E M Sudarsana Natchiappan, will end this month.

Out of the six members, Navaneethakrishnan was elected in 2014, Rabi Bernard in 2011 and others in 2010.

Navaneethakrishnan filled the vacancy caused by the disqualification of DMK's T M Selvaganapathi.

The scrutiny of nominations took place on Wednesday and papers filed by the seven independents, including that of P Isakkimuthu and K Kumar, were invalid and hence rejected as their candidatures were not proposed by the required number of ten MLAs.

All the six candidates in the fray will be declared elected on June 3 after the deadline for the withdrawal of nominations are over.