Chennai, 28 May

Tamil Nadu's ruling DMK on Wednesday announced that it would contest 4 out of the 6 seats from the state for the 19 June biennial Rajya Sabha polls and allotted one Upper House seat to ally, actor-politician Kamal Haasan-led Makkal Needhi Maiam.

The Dravidian party re-nominated its incumbent member in the Upper House, senior advocate P Wilson and also named 2 others; party's Salem-based leader SR Sivalingam and Ruqayya Malik alias Kavignar Salma, a poet, writer and party office-bearer.

Chief Minister MK Stalin, also the president of the ruling DMK, in a party release here said that the allocation of one seat to Haasan's party is in keeping with an electoral pact with MNM ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

On 24 July, 2025, six RS members from Tamil Nadu will retire and it includes PMK's Anbumani Ramadoss and MDMK top leader Vaiko. Out of the 6 seats, based on its strength and that of its allies in the State Assembly, DMK could easily win 4 seats, and main opposition AIADMK could win 2 seats, with support from allies including the BJP.