CHENNAI: The AIADMK on Sunday announced former MLAs I S Inbadurai and M Dhanapal as the party's candidates for the two to-be-vacant Rajya Sabha seats.
Announcing this at the party headquarters, AIADMK deputy general secretary K P Munusamy said the DMDK will be given one Rajya Sabha seat when vacancies arise in 2026. He also said the DMDK will continue in the AIADMK-led alliance.
Responding to a question, Munusamy said that AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami had promised to give a Rajya Sabha seat in 2026 and that the party will stand by it. Munusamy added that the DMDK has agreed to this.
Meanwhile, DMDK general secretary Premalatha Vijayakant indirectly conveyed her disappointment over the AIADMK not giving a Rajya Sabha seat in the current elections.
She refused to confirm Munusamy’s statement that the DMDK would continue in the AIADMK-led alliance.
Asked about Munusamy's statement that the DMDK is continuing in the AIADMK-led announcement, Premalatha said, "You should pose this question to who made this statement."
She also said the party will confirm its stance in the upcoming conference.
"Politics is all about elections. The AIADMK has made its announcement. The DMDK will announce its stand in January 2026 at the party's conference in Cuddalore," Premalatha said.
Premalatha said that, even during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, five Parliamentary constituencies and one Rajya Sabha constituency were agreed upon. She said that the AIADMK general secretary, Edappadi K Palaniswami, and senior ministers had assured them of this.
She also clarified that while forging the alliance with the AIADMK in 2024, when asked in which year the Rajya Sabha seat would be given, Palaniswami did not confirm.
"Now, the AIADMK has announced that they will give a Rajya Sabha seat in 2026," she stated.
Meanwhile, DMDK general secretary Premalatha Vijayakant thanked the DMK for adopting a resolution condoling the demise of DMDK founder Vijayakant.
A few days ago, Premaltha Vijayakant, in Pudukottai, said that during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the AIADMK promised to give one Rajya Sabha seat to the DMDK. Earlier, the AIADMK allocated a Rajya Sabha seat to Anbumani Ramadoss and GK Vasan.
"This is our turn, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami should allocate one Rajya Sabha seat to the DMDK and keep his word."
In this backdrop, DMDK treasurer LK Sudhish called on Palaniswami and held discussions on Friday.
Candidate Profiles
IS Inbadurai ( is a former MLA from Radhapuram between 2016 to 2021. He is a practising criminal lawyer in the Madras High Court for more than three decades.
Inbadurai hails from Navaladi village, Thisaiyanvilai talum Tirunelveli district.
Inbadurai received his law degree from the Government Law College, Coimbatore and enrolled himself in the Bar Council of Tamil Nadu. He served as the Special Government Pleader in the Madras High Court between 2011 and 2016.
Inbadurai joined the AIADMK in 1983, during his college days. In the AIADMK, he has held the following positions: party's advocates wing president of the North Chennai district; deputy secretary of the State minorities welfare wing and election wing. Since 2023, he has been serving as the party's advocates' wing.
M Dhanapal (65) hails from Puduppattinam near Kalpakkam in Chengalpattu district. He holds a Master's degree in arts, law and business administration. He also holds a postgraduate diploma in computer applications and a Ph.D.
Dhanapal is a former MLA from Thiruporur Assembly constituency during 1991-96. At the party, Dhanapal served as the presidium chairman of Chengalpattu East District; Kanchipuram district panchayat president between 2001 and 2006. He has been actively participating in party-related events since 1977.