<p>Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) President and former Union Minister G K Vasan, son of veteran Congress leader G K Moopanar, will contest the biennial polls to Rajya Sabha from Tamil Nadu with support from the ruling AIADMK.</p>.<p>Vasan, who was Minister in both UPA-1 and UPA-2, will return to the Rajya Sabha after a gap of six years as his election to the Upper House of Parliament is certain given the AIADMK’s strength in the Assembly.</p>.<p>Though his TMC doesn’t wield much influence in Tamil Nadu – it lost the only seat it contested in 2019 polls and has no representation in the assembly – BJP seems to be behind Vasan getting a Rajya Sabha berth from the AIADMK quota.</p>.<p>Sources said the BJP top brass was keen that Vasan, who quit the Congress in 2014, should be sent to Rajya Sabha. Political observers say Vasan’s elevation should be viewed from the angle of BJP’s larger plan to make inroads into Tamil Nadu, where it lacks any base for now.</p>.<p>Vasan’s nomination to Rajya Sabha also fuelled speculation on his elevation to the Union Cabinet and merger of his TMC with the BJP. The former minister had also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi last year during which it is believed he was promised a RS seat.</p>.<p>Allotment of seat to the former Congressman by the AIADMK is also significant since it overlooked actor Vijayakant’s DMDK, which is relatively a bigger party when compared to TMC. DMDK had been demanding a RS seat for Vijayakant’s brother-in-law L K Sudheesh.</p>.<p>The AIADMK also named former Lok Sabha deputy speaker M Thambidurai and senior party leader K P Munusamy for the remaining two seats that it can win on its own. Both Thambidurai and Munusamy lost the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Karur and Krishnagiri constituencies. </p>.<p>Six Rajya Sabha members from Tamil Nadu will retire on April 2 and elections for the seats will be held on March 26. Ruling AIADMK and principal opposition party, DMK, can win three seats each given their strength in the Assembly.</p>.<p>Vasan resigned from the Congress in November 2014 and revived Tamil Maanila Congress, an outfit launched by his late father in 1996 when the then Congress leadership decided to align with AIADMK for the general elections.</p>.<p>Struggling to survive after having quit Congress, TMC aligned with AIADMK-BJP alliance for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls but lost the lone Thanjavur seat allotted to it.</p>.<p><strong>DMK Candidates file nomination</strong></p>.<p>Meanwhile, DMK candidates Tiruchi N Siva, N R Elango and Anthiyur Selvaraj filed their nomination papers on Monday before the Returning Officer at the Secretariat in the presence of party president M K Stalin.</p>
<p>Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) President and former Union Minister G K Vasan, son of veteran Congress leader G K Moopanar, will contest the biennial polls to Rajya Sabha from Tamil Nadu with support from the ruling AIADMK.</p>.<p>Vasan, who was Minister in both UPA-1 and UPA-2, will return to the Rajya Sabha after a gap of six years as his election to the Upper House of Parliament is certain given the AIADMK’s strength in the Assembly.</p>.<p>Though his TMC doesn’t wield much influence in Tamil Nadu – it lost the only seat it contested in 2019 polls and has no representation in the assembly – BJP seems to be behind Vasan getting a Rajya Sabha berth from the AIADMK quota.</p>.<p>Sources said the BJP top brass was keen that Vasan, who quit the Congress in 2014, should be sent to Rajya Sabha. Political observers say Vasan’s elevation should be viewed from the angle of BJP’s larger plan to make inroads into Tamil Nadu, where it lacks any base for now.</p>.<p>Vasan’s nomination to Rajya Sabha also fuelled speculation on his elevation to the Union Cabinet and merger of his TMC with the BJP. The former minister had also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi last year during which it is believed he was promised a RS seat.</p>.<p>Allotment of seat to the former Congressman by the AIADMK is also significant since it overlooked actor Vijayakant’s DMDK, which is relatively a bigger party when compared to TMC. DMDK had been demanding a RS seat for Vijayakant’s brother-in-law L K Sudheesh.</p>.<p>The AIADMK also named former Lok Sabha deputy speaker M Thambidurai and senior party leader K P Munusamy for the remaining two seats that it can win on its own. Both Thambidurai and Munusamy lost the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Karur and Krishnagiri constituencies. </p>.<p>Six Rajya Sabha members from Tamil Nadu will retire on April 2 and elections for the seats will be held on March 26. Ruling AIADMK and principal opposition party, DMK, can win three seats each given their strength in the Assembly.</p>.<p>Vasan resigned from the Congress in November 2014 and revived Tamil Maanila Congress, an outfit launched by his late father in 1996 when the then Congress leadership decided to align with AIADMK for the general elections.</p>.<p>Struggling to survive after having quit Congress, TMC aligned with AIADMK-BJP alliance for the 2019 Lok Sabha polls but lost the lone Thanjavur seat allotted to it.</p>.<p><strong>DMK Candidates file nomination</strong></p>.<p>Meanwhile, DMK candidates Tiruchi N Siva, N R Elango and Anthiyur Selvaraj filed their nomination papers on Monday before the Returning Officer at the Secretariat in the presence of party president M K Stalin.</p>
