CHENNAI: With the Election Commission of India expected to announce the schedule for the Tamil Nadu Assembly election shortly, speculation has arisen over a possible deferment of the Rajya Sabha elections from the State to fill seats that fall vacant on April 1.
Discussions are reportedly underway between the Rajya Sabha Secretariat and the Election Commission of India on the matter.
Six Rajya Sabha seats from Tamil Nadu are due to fall vacant on April 1, 2026. The outgoing members include NR Elango, P Selvarasu, Tiruchi Siva and Kanimozhi Somu of the DMK, and M Thambidurai and GK Vasan of TMC.
Under normal circumstances, the election notification for Rajya Sabha polls is issued at least two months before the expiry of the members' terms, with the entire election process taking around 25 days. However, officials point out that no notification has been issued in Tamil Nadu so far.
A precedent cited in this context is a case before the Kerala High Court, during which the Election Commission informed the court that Rajya Sabha elections could be conducted only after a minimum of 19 days from the date of notification. Officials say the same procedure would apply to Tamil Nadu as well.
"With the Assembly election announcement expected in a few weeks, conducting Rajya Sabha polls immediately may be difficult. However, discussions are still ongoing," a senior official from the Rajya Sabha Secretariat said.
Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu Assembly Secretariat, which acts as the election authority for Rajya Sabha polls in the State, has begun preparatory work. The electoral rolls of MLAs and the verification of their residential addresses have been completed.
"Though no formal communication has been received on the election schedule, preparations are underway. Two senior women officers from the Assembly Secretariat have been nominated as Returning Officer and Assistant Returning Officer, and their names have been sent to the Election Commission for approval," an Assembly Secretariat official said.
On the political front, uncertainty prevails. A ruling party Rajya Sabha member said there had been no intimation so far regarding the timing of the Upper House elections.