Rajya Sabha poll dates announced; alliance talks intensify in Tamil Nadu for six seats

Chennai: The Election Commission has announced the schedule for elections to six vacant Rajya Sabha seats from Tamil Nadu, setting the stage for intensified political negotiations ahead of the state Assembly polls later this year.

Nominations for the Rajya Sabha elections will open on 26 February, with 5 March as the last date for submission. Polling is scheduled for 16 March, coinciding with elections to 37 Rajya Sabha seats across ten states, including Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Assam, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Bihar. Votes will be counted the same day from 5 pm.

In Tamil Nadu, the six seats falling vacant on 2 April are currently held by four members of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) — Tiruchi Siva, N.R. Elangovan, Kanimozhi Somu and Selvaraj — and two from the AIADMK — M. Thambidurai and G.K. Vasan. Both major Dravidian parties are expected to announce candidates shortly.

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Political parties are simultaneously engaged in seat-sharing negotiations for the Rajya Sabha and the Assembly polls. The Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK), which has yet to formalise its alliance decision, is reportedly seeking a Rajya Sabha seat as part of the negotiations. Sources indicate that the allocation of a seat could influence broader seat-sharing arrangements for the Assembly elections.

The AIADMK-led alliance is keen to finalise arrangements before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Tamil Nadu on 1 March. Reports suggest that if the DMDK joins the alliance, discussions over seat allocation may be revisited.

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With the electoral calendar now confirmed, the coming weeks are expected to witness heightened political activity as parties weigh strategic calculations and alliance dynamics ahead of both the Rajya Sabha elections and the high-stakes state Assembly contest.

(With inputs from IANS and PTI)