AIADMK names Mohammedjan, Chandrasekaran for Rajya Sabha polls

The ruling AIADMK Saturday named former minister A Mohammedjan and N Chandrasekaran as its candidates for the July 18 Rajya Sabha polls from Tamil Nadu.

Mohammedjan served as minister for Backward Classes and Minorities Welfare in the cabinet of late J Jayalalithaa from 2011 to 2013.

He is also the AIADMK's minority welfare wing joint secretary from Vellore (East) party district and was elected to the Assembly from Ranipet constituency in 2011.

Chandrasekaran, a long-time party functionary, is the AIADMK's Mettur (Salem suburban party district) town party secretary.

In a release, AIADMK top leaders -- Chief Minister K Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam –named the candidates and announced that one seat has been allotted to Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) as per a pre-poll pact with that party.

The PMK, as expected, named its leader Anbumani Ramadoss as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha polls after a high-level meet chaired by party founder leader S Ramadoss.

MDMK general secretary Vaiko and DMK nominees M Shanmugam and senior advocate P Wilson filed their nomination for the biennial polls to fill the six vacancies from Tamil Nadu to the Upper House of Parliament.

The MDMK was allotted one seat by its ally DMK as part of a pre-poll agreement ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

Shanmugam is DMK's trade union wing, Labour Progressive Front's general secretary.

The trio filed their nomination with Returning Officer and Secretary, Tamil Nadu Assembly Legislative Assembly Secretariat, K Srinivasan in the presence of DMK chief MK Stalin.

The nomination papers will be taken up for scrutiny on July 9 and AIADMK nominees and PMK candidate Anbumani are expected to file their papers on July 8, the last day of filing nominations.

Based on the respective strength of the ruling AIADMK and main opposition DMK, the two parties can elect three candidates each.

In the unlikely event of a contest, polls will be held on July 18.