CHENNAI: The elections to six Rajya Sabha seats from Tamil Nadu next month would offer clarity on the battle lines for the 2026 Assembly polls.
According to DMK sources, Makkal Neethi Maiam leader Kamal Hassan stands a bright chance to get into the Parliament. DMK’s advocate and MP P Wilson, whose tenure is ending, will get a second term as his role in New Delhi is vital for the party, both in terms of legal issues and in the Parliament.
MDMK general secretary Vaiko may not be given the seat. He is reportedly keen to secure more MLA seats for MDMK in 2026, although his party members want him to continue as an MP. “There’s been no internal discussion so far, and we are unsure if the leadership intends to push for a nomination,” said a party functionary.
Among other two, incumbent MM Abdulla, whose tenure is ending, is reportedly in the good books of Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin and consequently may get another term. However, sources also said Abdulla wants to enter state politics by contesting in the Assembly election from Pudukkottai.
Another incumbent M Shanmugam, leader of DMK’s labour organisation, is likely to be dropped to give way for a new face, sources said.
With the PMK and the DMDK yet to announce which side they will align with for the 2026 election, the end of Anbumani Ramadoss’s tenure and the DMDK’s expectation of a Rajya Sabha seat with the help of the AIADMK have made the situation interesting.
The AIADMK can get two MPs elected with its available strength and the support of BJP and PMK, of which it would like to retain one for itself. The other two parties, however, cannot get a seat without the support of AIADMK.
It would be interesting to watch whether the other seat will be given for Anbumani to get re-elected or to the DMDK. DMDK had said that a Rajya Sabha seat was promised when the party aligned with the AIADMK in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. However, AIADMK general secretary had later taken an explicitly non-committal stance.
Meanwhile, Nainar Nagenthran, state president of BJP that has recently patched up its alliance with the AIADMK, told the media on Monday that a decision on whether the party would seek an RS seat from the AIADMK would be made by its national leadership. He, however, said the party would support the AIADMK in this election.
PMK sources, however, said the RS election is not even their priority now. “To be honest, many of us had forgotten about the RS election. The family feud (between Anbumani and party founder S Ramadoss) has diverted everyone’s attention,” said a senior functionary.
PMK insiders admit they are not optimistic about securing a Rajya Sabha seat this time, either through negotiation or contest. Problems in the DMK camp could be relatively less complex with the ruling party having the ability to secure four seats based on its own strength, with little support from allies.
(With inputs from K Ezhilarasan)