<p>DMK candidate M M Abdulla was on Friday elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha in place of AIADMK’s A Mohammedjan who died in March this year.</p>.<p>Abdulla, joint secretary of the DMK’s NRI wing constituted in 2020, hails from Pudukkottai district in the Cauvery Delta region. Abdulla was elected unopposed in the by-election as the DMK, and its allies command a two-thirds majority in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly.</p>.<p>“Thiru. M Mohamed Abdulla, sponsored by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, has been duly elected to fill the vacancy caused due to the demise of Thiru. A Mohammedjan, Member of Council of States, elected from Tamil Nadu,” K Srinivasan, Returning Officer and Assembly Secretary, said. Abdulla will remain as a member of the Upper House till 2025.</p>.<p>With Abdulla’s election, Stalin has fulfilled the long-time demand that a Muslim be sent to Parliament from DMK’s quota. Already, Stalin has two ministers from his community in the Tamil Nadu cabinet.</p>.<p>With Abdulla’s election, DMK’s strength in the Rajya Sabha is now 8 and the party can hope to increase its tally to 10 with by-elections to two seats likely to be held anytime soon. The seats became vacant after AIADMK MPs R Vaithilingam and K P Munusamy – resigned their posts following their election to the Tamil Nadu Assembly.</p>.<p>With the by-elections for the two seats likely to be held separately as the tenure of the MPs is different, the DMK has bright chances of bagging both seats. There is also a talk that the DMK might give one seat to its ally Congress with Stalin giving an oral assurance in this regard to Congress President Sonia Gandhi during the seat-sharing talks for assembly polls.</p>.<p>Out of the 18 seats from Tamil Nadu, eight are now held by DMK and five by AIADMK, while PMK, Tamil Maanila Congress, and MDMK hold one seat each. Two seats two remain vacant. </p>
<p>DMK candidate M M Abdulla was on Friday elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha in place of AIADMK’s A Mohammedjan who died in March this year.</p>.<p>Abdulla, joint secretary of the DMK’s NRI wing constituted in 2020, hails from Pudukkottai district in the Cauvery Delta region. Abdulla was elected unopposed in the by-election as the DMK, and its allies command a two-thirds majority in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly.</p>.<p>“Thiru. M Mohamed Abdulla, sponsored by Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, has been duly elected to fill the vacancy caused due to the demise of Thiru. A Mohammedjan, Member of Council of States, elected from Tamil Nadu,” K Srinivasan, Returning Officer and Assembly Secretary, said. Abdulla will remain as a member of the Upper House till 2025.</p>.<p>With Abdulla’s election, Stalin has fulfilled the long-time demand that a Muslim be sent to Parliament from DMK’s quota. Already, Stalin has two ministers from his community in the Tamil Nadu cabinet.</p>.<p>With Abdulla’s election, DMK’s strength in the Rajya Sabha is now 8 and the party can hope to increase its tally to 10 with by-elections to two seats likely to be held anytime soon. The seats became vacant after AIADMK MPs R Vaithilingam and K P Munusamy – resigned their posts following their election to the Tamil Nadu Assembly.</p>.<p>With the by-elections for the two seats likely to be held separately as the tenure of the MPs is different, the DMK has bright chances of bagging both seats. There is also a talk that the DMK might give one seat to its ally Congress with Stalin giving an oral assurance in this regard to Congress President Sonia Gandhi during the seat-sharing talks for assembly polls.</p>.<p>Out of the 18 seats from Tamil Nadu, eight are now held by DMK and five by AIADMK, while PMK, Tamil Maanila Congress, and MDMK hold one seat each. Two seats two remain vacant. </p>
