All six candidates from TN elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha

All the six candidates for the biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha from Tamil Nadu including AIADMK's M Thambidurai, a former Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker and DMK leader Tiruchi Siva, incumbent Upper House member were on Wednesday declared elected unopposed.

The AIADMK's other candidate, a former Minister and senior leader K P Munusamy and the ruling party's ally, Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) chief G K Vasan were elected.

Vasan was a former Congress leader and Union Minister.

The main opposition DMK's N R Elango and P Selvarasu besides Tiruchi Siva were elected as well, according to an official release from the Legislative Assembly Secretariat.

While Elango is a senior advocate, Selvarasu, popularly known as 'Andhiyur' Selvaraj was a former State Minister.

On March 16, the day of scrutiny, nominations of all the six nominees were declared valid and the papers of three individuals were rejected.

All the six candidates, three from DMK, two from AIADMK and one from TMC (M) were declared duly elected on Wednesday after the deadline for withdrawal of candidature ended.

The term of office of six incumbent members -Tiruchi Siva, T K Rangarajan (CPI-M), Sasikala Pushpa (AIADMK, later expelled and recently joined the BJP), the ruling party's Vijila Sathyananth, S Muthukaruppan and A K Selvaraj will end on April 2.