Kamal Haasan set to enter Rajya Sabha with DMK's backing, party also names its own 3 candidates
Similarly, the terms of AIADMK member N. Chandrasegharan and Anbumani Ramadoss of the PMK, a former AIADMK ally, will also end around the same time.
The Rajya Sabha terms of three DMK members—P. Wilson, M.M. Abdulla, and M. Shanmugam—as well as that of DMK ally and MDMK leader Vaiko, are set to end by July this year.
Chennai: The ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has nominated three party members for the Rajya Sabha, and allocated one seat to actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan's Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM). With this support from the DMK, Kamal Haasan is set to enter the Rajya Sabha for the first time.
Of the three incumbent Rajya Sabha members, only advocate P. Wilson, who is the legal face of DMK, was given a seat for the second time. Apart from Wilson, DMK has named the party's long time functionaries poet Salma and S.R. Sivalingam as nominees for the Rajya Sabha seat. Both are being nominated to Rajya Sabha for the first time.
DMK's spokesperson and former Rajya Sabha MP T.K.S. Elangovan said that the seat allocated to MNM was in line with the agreement with Haasan at the time of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
'Kamal's MNM has been in the DMK alliance since the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. However, no seat was allocated to them during the Lok Sabha election. Still, he campaigned for DMK candidates across the state. Now he is being given the Rajya Sabha seat,' Elangovan said.
A senior DMK leader told ThePrint that the seats were allocated, keeping the representation of communities in mind.
'While M.M. Abdulla, a Muslim by birth, was not given a second chance, poet Salma, who is also a Muslim, is being nominated to compensate for it. Similarly, Wilson, who is a DMK's go to man for legal fight against the Union government and Governor, belongs to Christian minority community. By this, we have given representation to Christians, Muslims, and women as well,' a senior DMK leader told ThePrint.
On 26 May, the Election Commission of India announced that biennial elections for six Rajya Sabha seats will be held on 19 June, with counting scheduled for the same evening. The official notification will be issued on 2 June, and the last date for filing nominations is 9 June.
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The 3 nominees from DMK
Salma: Poet Salma alias Rokaiya Malik is from a Muslim family and served as the president of Ponnampatti Panchayat in Trichy district. She unsuccessfully contested the 2006 election from Marungapuri constituency on behalf of DMK. She has also served as the Chairman of Tamil Nadu Social Welfare Board.
Salma, renowned for her poetry and contributions to Tamil literature, has had her works translated into several languages worldwide, including Armenian. She is also a longtime member of the DMK.
P. Wilson: The incumbent MP has been the member of Rajya Sabha since 2019 and served as the Additional Solicitor General of India and Additional Advocate General of Tamil Nadu.
A senior advocate, Wilson has served as the Additional Solicitor General of India and the Additional Advocate General of Tamil Nadu. He notably successfully led a legal battle to establish the memorial of former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi at Marina beach.
S.R. Sivalingam: A longtime grassroots DMK worker from Salem district, he currently serves as the party's Salem East district secretary and was elected to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly in 1989 and 1996.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
Also Read: How a father-son feud threatens to split PMK before 2026 Tamil Nadu elections
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