CHENNAI: The nomination process for the Rajya Sabha by-election from Tamil Nadu commenced on Monday with two Independent candidates filing their papers.
However, their nominations are likely to face rejection as they were reportedly submitted without the required proposers. The candidates, K Padmarajan from Salem and Agni Aalvar from Dharmapuri, are known for frequently contesting elections across the country and filing nominations for various electoral contests.
Under Rajya Sabha election rules, each candidate must secure the support of at least 10 proposers, all of whom must be members of the State Legislative Assembly. The by-election was necessitated following the resignation of CV Shanmugam of the AIADMK.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced the schedule to fill the vacant seat, with the nomination process commencing on June 1. Political attention is focused on the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), which is the single largest party in the Assembly with 107 MLAs.
The last date for filing nominations is June 8. Scrutiny of nomination papers will be undertaken by the Returning Officer on June 9, while candidates can withdraw their nominations until June 11. If required, polling for the by-election will be held on June 18.