<p>Dr Kanimozhi N V N Somu, granddaughter of one of the founders of the party, and K R N Rajeshkumar were on Tuesday named as candidates by the DMK for the bye-elections to two Rajya Sabha seats to be held on October 4. </p>.<p>The bye-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 2025. </p>.<p>With the DMK and its allies commanding a two-thirds majority in the 234-member Assembly, both candidates are likely to be elected unopposed. </p>.<p>If Kanimozhi and Rajeshkumar are elected unopposed, the DMK’s strength in the Rajya Sabha will go up to 10 from the current 8, including the recent election of M M Abdulla. DMK’s announcement puts to rest all speculation about ally Congress getting a Rajya Sabha seat, though the national party said they have an oral assurance on a seat in 2022. </p>.<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/south/rural-local-body-polls-in-nine-districts-of-tamil-nadu-next-month-1029982.html" target="_blank">Rural local body polls in nine districts of Tamil Nadu next month</a></strong></p>.<p>“When we got the oral assurance from the DMK during seat-sharing talks early this year, there was no vacancy in Rajya Sabha. The assurance is for a seat in 2022. We will get a seat from DMK then and we never expected a seat now. Moreover, these seats do not have full-term,” a Congress leader told <em>DH</em>.</p>.<p>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. </p>.<p>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. </p>.<p>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. </p>.<p>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. </p>.<p><strong>Check out latest videos from <i data-stringify-type="italic">DH</i>:</strong></p>
<p>Dr Kanimozhi N V N Somu, granddaughter of one of the founders of the party, and K R N Rajeshkumar were on Tuesday named as candidates by the DMK for the bye-elections to two Rajya Sabha seats to be held on October 4. </p>.<p>The bye-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 2025. </p>.<p>With the DMK and its allies commanding a two-thirds majority in the 234-member Assembly, both candidates are likely to be elected unopposed. </p>.<p>If Kanimozhi and Rajeshkumar are elected unopposed, the DMK’s strength in the Rajya Sabha will go up to 10 from the current 8, including the recent election of M M Abdulla. DMK’s announcement puts to rest all speculation about ally Congress getting a Rajya Sabha seat, though the national party said they have an oral assurance on a seat in 2022. </p>.<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/south/rural-local-body-polls-in-nine-districts-of-tamil-nadu-next-month-1029982.html" target="_blank">Rural local body polls in nine districts of Tamil Nadu next month</a></strong></p>.<p>“When we got the oral assurance from the DMK during seat-sharing talks early this year, there was no vacancy in Rajya Sabha. The assurance is for a seat in 2022. We will get a seat from DMK then and we never expected a seat now. Moreover, these seats do not have full-term,” a Congress leader told <em>DH</em>.</p>.<p>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. </p>.<p>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. </p>.<p>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. </p>.<p>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. </p>.<p><strong>Check out latest videos from <i data-stringify-type="italic">DH</i>:</strong></p>
