DMK eyes Rajya Sabha polls to expand alliance before crucial 2026 elections
DMK insiders say NR Elango and Tiruchi Siva are likely to be renominated
(L-R) Tiruchi Siva and Kanimozhi Somu
CHENNAI: With the Tamil Nadu Assembly election drawing closer, the ruling DMK is preparing for another crucial political contest before the main battle — the Rajya Sabha election scheduled for February. The party sees the upcoming electoral round not merely as a routine exercise but as an opportunity to expand and recalibrate its alliance network.
Six Rajya Sabha seats from Tamil Nadu will 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 the AIADMK.
DMK insiders say NR Elango and Tiruchi Siva are likely to be renominated. The remaining two DMK seats will be filled at the discretion of party president and Chief Minister MK Stalin. These seats are widely expected to serve as bargaining tools to bring additional allies into the INDIA bloc, especially as multi-cornered contests appear increasingly likely with the entry of actor Vijay’s TVK.
DMK organising secretary RS Bharathi said the party would comfortably secure its allotted seats with its existing Assembly strength. “Our leader will decide. Talk of parties demanding seats, including speculation about the DMDK, is baseless,” he asserted.
However, party sources say the DMK leadership views the polls as a strategic moment to widen its coalition, with potential outreach to the DMDK or the senior Ramadoss faction of the PMK. Tensions within both parties have made them pivotal players. The PMK is grappling with a serious leadership tussle that threatens to fracture the party and complicates its position within the NDA, while the DMDK, led by general secretary Premalatha Vijayakanth, has distanced itself from the AIADMK over an unfulfilled promise of a Rajya Sabha seat during the 2024 Lok Sabha seat-sharing talks.
To win a Rajya Sabha seat, a candidate requires the support of 34 MLAs. Based on current numbers, the DMK is expected to win four seats, while the remaining two are likely to go to the AIADMK.
