Tamil Nadu, June 04 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and TVK president Vijay has announced that his party will support the Congress by allotting the upcoming Rajya Sabha vacancy from the state to its alliance partner. The development comes ahead of the June 18 election to fill the Upper House seat that became vacant after AIADMK leader C. Ve. Shanmugam stepped down following his victory in the Mailam Assembly constituency.
In an official statement issued on Wednesday, Vijay said that the seat would be offered to the Congress party as part of the alliance arrangement in Tamil Nadu. The decision is being viewed as a significant step toward reinforcing cooperation among opposition partners in the state.
The announcement followed a series of consultations involving senior Congress leaders. Among those who met the Chief Minister were Tamil Nadu Congress in-charge Girish Chodankar and former Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram. The discussions reportedly focused on political coordination and representation in Parliament.
Reacting to the development, Chodankar welcomed the decision and said it would help strengthen the Congress party’s presence in the Rajya Sabha. He noted that the allocation reflects the healthy relationship between alliance partners and would provide the party with an additional voice in the Upper House.
The Congress leader clarified that the selection of the candidate would be handled by the party’s central election authority. According to him, once the seat is formally designated for Congress, the matter will be placed before the party’s national leadership for final approval of the nominee.
The Election Commission has already initiated the process for the by-election. Filing of nominations began on June 1 and will continue until June 8. Scrutiny of nomination papers is scheduled for June 9, while candidates may withdraw their names until June 11.
Voting for the Rajya Sabha seat will take place on June 18 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Counting of votes will commence later the same day, with the result expected shortly thereafter.
Political observers believe the move underlines Vijay’s effort to maintain alliance unity while ensuring coordinated representation at the national level. Attention will now shift to the Congress high command, which is expected to announce its candidate in the coming days.