4 AIADMK, 2 DMK MPs set to be elected to Rajya Sabha from Tamil Nadu

CHENNAI: Six nominees, four from ruling AIADMK and two belonging to the 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 today.

Nomination papers of R Vaithilingam, A Navaneethakrishnan, A Vijayakumar, former Union Minister S R Balasubramoniyan (all AIADMK), and those of R S Bharathi and T K S Elangovan (DMK) were valid and accepted, TN 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 ruling AIADMK will go up to 12 from the present 11 in Rajya Sabha. There will be no change in the number of 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 AIADMK's Navaneethakrishnan, A W Rabi Bernard and P H Paul Manoj Pandian and DMK's K P Ramalingam and S Thangavelu and former Union Minister and 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 today and papers filed by 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.