DMK picks Rajya Sabha nominees, keeps alliance promise to Kamal Haasan
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Wednesday announced its candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, staying true to its 2024 Lok Sabha poll pact by allocating one seat to the Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) led by actor-politician Kamal Haasan.
The DMK will field senior advocate P Wilson for a second term, former minister S R Sivalingam, and acclaimed poet and writer Salma. The official announcement said that one seat from the party's share would be 'allotted to Makkal Needhi Maiam,' signalling Haasan's expected entry into the Rajya Sabha.
With 133 MLAs and strong backing from its alliance partners—including the Congress, the Communist Party of India, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) — the DMK-led front has the numbers to secure four of the six seats falling vacant from Tamil Nadu in the June 19 election. Each winning candidate needs 34 votes in the 234-member Assembly.
The DMK's decision ends speculation over whether Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's (MDMK) Vaiko would be renominated. The party's move to elevate Salma adds symbolic heft to the list.
Born Rokkaya Malik, Salma is a celebrated Tamil poet and novelist known for her unflinching voice on gender, sexuality, and the cloistered lives of women in conservative households. Writing first in secret, she rose to prominence with 'The Hours Past Midnight,' a novel translated into English that drew wide acclaim. A long-time fellow traveller of the DMK, she served earlier as chairperson of the Tamil Nadu Social Welfare Board.
On the other side, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), with 62 MLAs, is expected to win two seats with support from the BJP (4 MLAs) and the Panneerselvam camp. The party is said to be considering candidates from Dalit and minority communities, while BJP leaders are reportedly lobbying for former state chief K Annamalai to be nominated.
The counting of votes is scheduled for the evening of June 19, concluding a closely watched round of political manoeuvring in upper house calculus.
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