Rajya Sabha Polls: BJP, PMK to support AIADMK on June 10

Chennai: The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) today announced their support to the principal opposition AIADMK in the June 10 biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha from the Tamil Nadu Assembly. BJP State President K. Annamalai announced his party’s support at a media conference after a four-member AIADMK delegation, comprising former Ministers, met him at the BJP headquarters “Kamalalayam” and sought the BJP’s support in the elections. He said the AIADMK is still part of the BJP-led NDA and that all the four BJP MLAs will support the AIADMK in the Rajya Sabha elections. Meanwhile, PMK President GK. Mani, MLA, announced that his party would support the AIADMK in the RS polls. In a statement here, he said a team of AIADMK leaders met PMK Founder Dr. S. Ramadoss at his Thailapuram residence and handed over a letter written by AIADMK Coordinator O. Panneerselvam and Joint Coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami seeking PMK’s support. He said Dr Ramadoss discussed the issue with the senior party leaders and it has been decided to unanimously support the AIADMK in the polls. Both The BJP and PMK had contested the recent urban Local body polls alone after facing the 2021 Assembly polls as part of the AIADMK-led Front. However, while announcing the BJP’s decision to go it alone, Annamalai had said that the AIADMK continues to be part of the NDA and the BJP’s alliance with AIADMK will continue in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Meanwhile, Panneerselvam and Palaniswami today held discussions at the AIADMK party office to decide the two candidates for the elections. The ruling DMK, which could easily win four of the six seats that will fall vacant on June 29, announced its candidates for three seats, while allotting the other seat to its ally, the Congress. Chief Minister and DMK President M.K. Stalin, in a statement, on Sunday had announced that party Legal Wing Secretary R. Girirajan, Thanjavur North District Unit Secretary S. Shanmugasundaram and Namakkal East Unit District Secretary KRN Rajesh Kumar as the DMK candidates for the RS polls. Rajesh Kumar has been re-nominated for the second time. Elections to fill six seats, which would fall vacant on June 29, will be held on June 10. The DMK and its allies, which has a combined strength of 159 MLAs in the 234-member Assembly, can easily win four seats and the main Opposition AIADMK (75 MLAs) has enough strength to win the remaining two seats. Releasing the election schedule for 57 seats in 15 states on Thursday last, the Election Commission of India (ECI) said the term of office of six members –three each from the DMK and the AIADMK–elected from Tamil Nadu is due to expire on June 29. The six members are T.K.S. Elangovan, R.S. Bharathi, K.R.N. Rajeshkumar (all DMK), A. Navaneethakrishnan, A. Vijayakumar and S.R. Balasubramoniyan (all AIADMK). The ECI said notification for the polls will be issued on May 24, the day on which the filing of nominations would begin, the last date for filing of nominations is May 31 and the scrutiny will take place the next day (June one). The last date for withdrawal is June three and the polling, if necessary, will be held on June 10 from 09:00 am- 04:00 pm. The Counting of votes will be taken up on June 10 and the election process shall be completed on June 13. (UNI)