Tamil Nadu: DMK’s back-up candidate withdraws nomination for Rajya Sabha poll

Chennai: DMK's back-up candidate for the Rajya Sabha in the biennial election, NR Elango, withdrew his nomination on Wednesday (July 10), paving the way for the election of six MP aspirants without a contest.

While arch-rivals AIADMK and DMK would send two members each, their allies PMK and MDMK, respectively, would get one representation each in the Upper House.

Elango had filed the nomination as a back-up for MDMK founder Vaiko at the MDMK leader's insistence to the DMK in this connection, as a safety measure should he be convicted in a sedition case.

Though Vaiko was convicted in the case last week by a Chennai court, his nomination was however accepted on Tuesday (July 9), putting to rest doubts about his election to the Rajya Sabha.

He was on July 5 convicted by a special court here in a 2009 sedition case and was sentenced to undergo simple Imprisonment for a year. Following a plea, the sentence was stayed for a month to allow him file an appeal against the order.

On Tuesday, the nominations of four independents had been rejected, leaving the candidates from DMK and AIADMK, besides PMK and MDMK in the fray.

AIADMK's N Chandrasekaran and Muhammedjan, DMK's P Wilson and M Shanmugam and PMK Youth Wing leader Anbumani Ramadoss would now be elected to the Rajya Sabha without a contest as the need for polling has not arisen.

According to the Election Commission schedule, polling, if required, was slated on July 18. Both the ruling AIADMK and DMK can send three MPs each to the Upper House by virtue of their respective strengths in the state Assembly.

The AIADMK has 123 MLAs and the DMK 100 legislators in the 234-member Assembly with two vacancies. DMK-ally Congress has seven legislators, while the IUML has one. AMMK leader TTV Dhinakaran is an Independent member.

A candidate needs 34 votes to get elected.

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