Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has decided to hand over the state’s only vacant Rajya Sabha seat to the Congress, underlining the importance of alliance politics in the state’s newly formed government.
The vacancy was created after AIADMK leader C.V. Shanmugam stepped down from the Upper House following his election to the Tamil Nadu Assembly. With the seat up for grabs, political circles had been closely watching Vijay’s next move.
The decision is widely seen as a goodwill gesture towards the Congress, whose support proved crucial in helping Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) assume power after the Assembly elections. Although TVK emerged as the largest party, it did not secure enough seats to form the government on its own.
Tamil Nadu bypolls: CM Vijay announces upper house seat allotment to ally Congress
TVK allots lone Rajya Sabha seat to Congress
Tamil Nadu bypolls scheduled on June 18 @kripatistic brings you more by @sdhrthmp pic.twitter.com/h2fyXqaxNU
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Speculation over Congress’ chances of securing the berth intensified after Girish Chodankar, the party’s Tamil Nadu in-charge, held discussions with Vijay. The announcement soon followed, effectively ending weeks of political guessing.
Congress leaders hailed the move, describing it as a reflection of mutual trust within the ruling alliance. The party believes the additional Rajya Sabha representation will strengthen its ability to raise Tamil Nadu-related issues at the national level.
Vijay’s rise to power has reshaped the political landscape of Tamil Nadu. In its first-ever Assembly election, TVK delivered a remarkable performance, winning 108 seats and emerging as the state’s largest political force. The result broke the decades-long dominance of the DMK and AIADMK, which have traditionally alternated in power.
However, the party fell short of the majority mark required to govern independently. To bridge the gap, TVK secured the support of several parties, including the Congress, CPI, CPI(M), VCK and IUML.
The allocation of the Rajya Sabha seat is being viewed as an effort to maintain coalition cohesion and send a message that alliance partners will have a meaningful role in the new political order taking shape under Vijay’s leadership.
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