DMK has nominated Tiruchi Siva and Professor J. Constantine Ravindran for the Rajya Sabha polls, while allotting one seat each to allies Congress and DMDK. Congress will also contest 28 seats in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Wednesday announced its candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections scheduled on March 16, while also finalising seat allocations for its allies in the state.
Out of the four Rajya Sabha seats allocated to the DMK, one seat has been allotted to the Congress and another to the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK). The DMK, in a statement, has officially nominated Tiruchi Siva and Professor J. Constantine Ravindran as its candidates for the remaining two seats.
DMK-Congress Alliance Deal
Both leaders will contest as the official representatives of the DMK. The announcement comes moments after the DMK and Congress shook hands for a seat-sharing deal for the upcoming State Assembly Polls.
Following the second round of seat-sharing talks on Wednesday, the DMK and the Congress Party agreed that Congress will contest 28 assembly constituencies and will be allocated one seat in the Rajya Sabha elections.
In a statement, party leaders said that the decision came following the meeting between the DMK President and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin and Congress Committee President K Selvaperunthagai. "With regard to the upcoming 2026 Legislative Assembly General Elections, a meeting was held today (04-03-2026) between the President of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Hon'ble Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and the President of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee, K. Selvaperunthagai, to discuss seat-sharing arrangements. It was decided that the Congress Party, which is part of the Secular Progressive Alliance, will contest in 28 Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu. It was also agreed that one seat will be allocated to the Congress Party in the forthcoming Rajya Sabha election," the statement read.
The seat-sharing agreement marks a key step in consolidating the Secular Progressive Alliance (SPA) ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, reflecting efforts to strengthen electoral coordination between DMK and Congress in the state.
Rajya Sabha Election Schedule
Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the schedule for the upcoming biennial elections to the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) to fill the 37 seats across 10 states, as the members are set to complete their term in April 2026, a press note stated.
According to the press note, the term of 37 members who were elected from Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Telangana will conclude in the month of April, vacating the seats for new members to be elected. The notification will be issued on February 26, commencing the election process. The last date of nominations is March 5, followed by scrutiny on March 6. The candidates can withdraw their nominations till March 9. The polling is scheduled to take place on March 16, with the counting of votes on the same day at 5 pm. (ANI)
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