The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)-led alliance has allotted a Rajya Sabha seat from Tamil Nadu to its alliance partner, the Indian National Congress, ahead of the biennial election scheduled for June 18. Congress leader and AICC functionary Praveen Chakravarty is expected to file his nomination either on Friday or Monday, according to party sources.

In a key political development, the alliance confirmed that the Rajya Sabha seat falling vacant from Tamil Nadu will be contested by the Congress under the seat-sharing arrangement within the TVK-led front. The election is being held following the resignation of AIADMK leader C Ve Shanmugam from the Upper House.

The announcement comes after Congress' Tamil Nadu election in-charge Girish Chodankar met Chief Minister Vijay earlier in the day and urged him to allocate the seat to the party.

Speaking after the meeting, Chodankar said he had requested the chief minister to consider Congress' claim to the seat, arguing that additional representation in the Rajya Sabha would strengthen the party's presence in Parliament.

He also clarified that the final decision on the candidate would be taken by the Congress central election authority once the seat was officially allotted to the party.

What led to the Rajya Sabha vacancy?

The Rajya Sabha seat became vacant after AIADMK leader C Ve Shanmugam resigned on May 7, 2026. His resignation followed his victory from the Mailam Assembly constituency, necessitating a by-election to fill the Upper House vacancy.

According to Election Commission sources, nominations for the Rajya Sabha election can be filed between June 1 and June 8. Scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on June 9, while candidates can withdraw their nominations until June 11.

Polling is scheduled from 9 am to 4 pm on June 18, with counting set to begin at 5 pm on the same day.