DMK candidates elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha from Tamil Nadu

Two DMK candidates – Dr Kanimozhi N V N Somu and K R N Rajeshkumar – were on Monday elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha in the by-elections held to two seats. Both candidates were elected as no other candidate filed nomination papers to fill the two seats that fell vacant earlier this year.

With the unanimous election of Kanimozhi and Rajeshkumar, the DMK’s strength in Rajya Sabha will now be 10. The announcement was made as the last day for withdrawal of nominations ended on Monday.

The by-elections were necessitated after two AIADMK members – R Vaithilingam and K P Munusamy – resigned their posts following their election to the Tamil Nadu Assembly. While Vaithilingam’s tenure ends in 2022, Munusamy’s tenure is till 2026.

A press release from the Assembly Secretariat had said Kanimozhi filed nomination for the seat vacated by Munusamy, while Rajeshkumar is in contention for the seat resigned by Vaithilingam.

Out of the total 18 Rajya Sabha seats from Tamil Nadu, eight are currently held by DMK and five by AIADMK, while PMK, Tamil Maanila Congress, and MDMK hold one seat each. Kanimozhi and Rajeshkumar were announced elected unopposed today.

Kanimozhi, who unsuccessfully contested the assembly elections twice in 2011 and 2016, is the granddaughter of N V Natarajan, who is one of the five leaders along with C N Annadurai and V R Nedunchezhian formed the DMK in 1949 after quitting the Dravidar Kazhagam then led by social reformer E V R Periyar.

Kanimozhi’s father N V N Somu was Union Minister of State for Defence during the United Front government. He died in a helicopter crash in Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh while on an official visit.

Rajeshkumar is in charge of the DMK’s unit in Namakkal district and his nomination is significant given the party makes a concerted effort to make further inroads in the western region, a bastion of the AIADMK.

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