CHENNAI: The ruling DMK on Wednesday announced Tiruchi Siva and J Constantine Ravindran as its candidates for the biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha. The announcement comes a day before the last date for filing nominations on Thursday.
Tiruchi Siva, a four-time Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament, brings nearly three decades of parliamentary experience. During his tenure, he has served on several parliamentary committees, including the Committee on Water Resources.
J Constantine Ravindran, a DMK spokesperson and party functionary, previously served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly when he was associated with the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK). He holds multiple academic degrees, including a PhD.
Apart from the two seats allotted to the DMK, the party has also allocated one Rajya Sabha seat each to its alliance partners, Congress and the DMDK. Both parties are yet to announce their nominees.
In Tamil Nadu, six Rajya Sabha seats are set to fall vacant on April 2. In view of these vacancies, the Election Commission of India has announced the schedule for the biennial polls.
With their current strength in the Assembly, the DMK-led alliance and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK)-led alliance are expected to secure four and two seats respectively.
The filing of nominations began on February 26. The last date for filing nominations is March 5, scrutiny will take place on March 6, and the final list of candidates will be known after the withdrawal deadline on March 9.