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TVK Solidifies Alliance with Congress for Rajya Sabha Seat
TVK said the move will strengthen its alliance with Congress, which is expected to nominate Praveen Chakravarty for the lone seat.
On Wednesday, Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam president and Chief Minister Joseph Vijay announced the allocation of a Rajya Sabha seat to the Indian National Congress, reinforcing the alliance between the two parties in Tamil Nadu.
The by-election follows the resignation of AIADMK leader C. V. Shanmugam, who vacated the Upper House seat after winning the Mailam Assembly constituency, as TVK opted to bolster coalition unity rather than contest the vacancy alone.
Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram met Vijay on Tuesday to request the seat, aiming to expand the party's presence, while sources suggest All India Professionals Congress chairperson Praveen Chakravarty is the likely candidate.
The Rajya Sabha election is scheduled for June 18, with nominations due by June 8 and voting to occur at the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Secretariat if multiple candidates remain after the June 11 withdrawal deadline.
Securing this seat gives Congress two ministers and two Rajya Sabha MPs, strengthening its standing after years of electoral struggle as part of a strategic move to consolidate the TVK-led alliance's influence against the traditional DMK-AIADMK political binary.