The DMK announced its candidates to contest the Rajya Sabha bypolls to fill the vacancy of two seats from Tamil Nadu. On Tuesday, 14 September, the party confirmed that Dr Kanimozhi NVN Somu, daughter of veteran party leader NVN Somu, and KRN Rajeshkumar will contest the Rajya Sabha bypolls.
Dr Kanimozhi is the State Medical Wing Secretary and Spokesperson for DMK. She is also an obstetrician and gynaecologist and a senior consultant doctor at MGM HealthCare. KRN Rajesh Kumar is the DMK district secretary of Namakkal East district.
The by-elections will be held to fill two vacancies created by the resignation of AIADMK members KP Munusamy and R Vaithilingam, who quit their posts to join the state Legislative Assembly as MLAs.
On 4 September, DMK leader M Mohamed Abdullah was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Tamil Nadu. The seat vacancy had come up after the death of A Mohammedjan.
With Abdullah’s election into the Rajya Sabha, the DMK’s strength in the Upper House has gone up to eight MPs.
The Congress, despite being hopeful that they will bag a Rajya Sabha seat either from Maharashtra or Tamil Nadu, was left disappointed.
In Tamil Nadu, both seats went to the DMK and the Congress did not get an opportunity to contest from the alliance.
Meanwhile, the state election commission has also announced local body polls to nine newly formed districts in Tamil Nadu. The civic polls will be held in two phases - on 6 and 9 October – State Election Commissioner V Palanikumar said on Monday, 13 September.
Thirty five unions from nine districts will have elections on 6 October, while the rest of the 35 will go to polls on 9 October. The districts that will see local body polls are Kancheepuram, Chengalpet, Vellore, Ranipet, Tirupattur, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Tirunelveli, and Thenkasi.
(Published in an arrangement with The News Minute)
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