Rajya Sabha polls: Kamal Haasan files nomination papers

Three nominees of the ruling DMK, main opposition AIADMK's two candidates and Makkal Needhi Maiam president and top actor Kamal Haasan on Friday, 6 June, filed nomination papers to contest for the June 19 biennial polls to the Rajya Sabha from Tamil Nadu.

In the presence of chief minister M.K. Stalin, Haasan signed and presented the papers to returning officer and additional secretary (Legislative Assembly), B. Subramaniyam at the secretariat in Chennai.

Led by AIADMK general secretary, Edappadi K. Palaniswami, the prinicipal opposition's nominees IS Inbadurai (Advocate wing secretary) and M. Dhanapal (Ex-MLA and party's Chengelpet East district presidium chairman) submitted their papers to the Returning Officer.

Deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, IUML leader KAM Muhammed Abubacker, and CPI legislator T Ramachandran accompanied the top star.

DMK's Salem-based leader S.R. Sivalingam, senior advocate P. Wilson, who is an incumbent DMK member in the Upper House, and re-nominated by the party and Ruqayya Malik alias Kavignar Salma, a poet-writer and party office-bearer handed over their nomination papers to Subramaniyam.

Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K Selvaperunthagai, VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan, CPI(M) state secretary P. Shanmugam, Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK) leader M.H. Jawahirullah and DMK leaders T.R. Baalu, Kanimozhi and E.V. Velu were present.

An ally of the DMK, Haasan-led MNM was allotted a Rajya Sabha seat as per an understanding reached between the two parties ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Haasan campaigned for the DMK alliance in the last year Parliamentary election.

Congress, VCK, the Left parties, and MMK are among the allies of ruling DMK.

Six Rajya Sabha members from Tamil Nadu, including DMK ally MDMK's top leader Vaiko and PMK's Anbumani Ramadoss are set to retire on 24 July 2025 and the Election Commission had last month announced elections to the Upper House from Tamil Nadu.

All the 6 candidates who have filed nominations for the 6 vacancies are all set to be declared elected unopposed and a contest is unlikely.

The key Rajya Sabha election related dates are 2 June 2025 (issue of notification), 9 June (last date for nominations), 10 June (scrutiny of nominations, 12 June (last date for withdrawal of candidatures) and 19 June (date of poll and counting of votes).