CHENNAI: Once in five years, the biennial election to six Rajya Sabha seats, which follows the general elections to the State Assembly has been a test of strength for the ruling party and the opposition as the number of seats won by them in the Assembly polls would decide the number of Rajya Sabha members that the party can send from Tamil Nadu.
This time, the Assembly election results have affected the DMK very much. Despite securing a vote share close to that of the AIADMK in the Assembly elections, the party could not secure a simple majority to form government and moreover, the results have affected the party’s prospects also in the biennial election for six Rajya Sabha seats slated for June 11.
There are six vacancies in the Rajya Sabha. For electing a member, votes of 34 Members of Legislative Assembly are needed. As such, with the 134 MLAs, the AIADMK can comfortably win three seats but require two more votes to secure the fourth seat. Similarly, the DMK can win two seats comfortably but require four more seats to win the third RS seat.
However, the AIADMK’s 134 tally has put the party in an advantageous position. Since it has 36 MLAs more than the DMK-led front in the Assembly, in the second preference vote, the ruling party can win the fourth seat also. But despite having 30 more votes, apart from winning two Rajya Sabha seats, the DMK cannot win the third seat for want of four more votes.
Understandably, keeping this fact in mind, Karunanidhi on Saturday announced only two candidates - party’s senior functionaries RS Bharathi and TKS Elangovan for the Rajya Sabha elections.
Sources said since polling in Aravakurichi and Thanjavur had been postponed to June 13, two days after the biennial elections to six RS seats, these votes won’t make a difference to the results of RS elections. Further, even minus these two votes, the value for winning one more Rajya Sabha seat won’t change from 34.
The six-year term of the following six Rajya Sabha members from Tamil Nadu ends on June 29: KP Ramalingam and S Thangavelu (DMK), A Navaneethakrishnan, Paul Manoj Pandian and A William Rabi Bernard (AIADMK) and E.M.Sudarsana Natchiappan (Congress).
There are 18 Rajya Sabha members from Tamil Nadu. The term of six of them ends on July 24, 2019 and for six more members, the term ends on April 2, 2020.
Filing of nomination will begin on May 24 and the last date for filing nomination will be May 31 and scrutiny will take place on June 1 and the last date for filing nominations will be June 3.
Six vacancies eyed by two
The scene
There are six vacancies in the Rajya Sabha. For electing one member, votes of 34 MLAs are needed
There are 18 Rajya Sabha members from Tamil Nadu. The term of six out of them ends on July 24, 2019 and for the rest ends on April 2, 2020
Ground reality
With 134 MLAs, the AIADMK can comfortably win three seats but will require two more votes to secure the fourth seat
The DMK can win two seats comfortably, but requires four more seats to win the third Rajya Sabha seat
Advantage AIADMK
Since it has 36 MLAs more than the DMK-led front in the Assembly, in the second preference vote, the ruling party can win the fourth
seat as well
Despite having 30 more votes, apart from winning two RS seats, the DMK cannot win the third seat for want of four more votes
