CM Joseph Vijay Allots Vacant Rajya Sabha Seat to Congress in Tamil Nadu

On Wednesday, Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay handed Tamil Nadu's lone vacant Rajya Sabha seat to the Congress party, reinforcing the alliance between his party, the Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), and the national party. The announcement followed high-level political meetings at the secretariat in Chennai, solidifying a post-election understanding between the two coalition partners.

According to Congress sources, All India Congress Committee (AICC) functionary Praveen Chakravarthy has emerged as the frontrunner for the nomination to the Upper House of Parliament. The decision was announced shortly after AICC's Tamil Nadu in-charge, Girish Chodankar, met with Chief Minister Vijay.

Chodankar described the move as a reflection of "coalition dharma," mutual respect, and a shared commitment to democratic values. He stated that Vijay had proved to be a man of his word, demonstrating principled leadership, political integrity, and respect for his alliance partners.

The political maneuvering intensified a day prior to the announcement when former Union minister P Chidambaram called on Vijay at the secretariat. The Rajya Sabha seat became vacant after former AIADMK MP C Ve Shanmugam resigned from the Upper House following his victory in the April assembly elections.

The election process is already underway, with June 8 set as the deadline for filing nominations. Scrutiny of the nominations is scheduled for June 9, and candidates have until June 11 to withdraw. If required, polling will take place on June 18.

Congress insiders revealed that the allocation of the Rajya Sabha berth was part of a post-election agreement. This pact was struck after the five elected Congress MLAs extended their support to the TVK government following the assembly election results.

Chakravarthy, who is regarded as close to Lok Sabha opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, is also understood to share a warm equation with Chief Minister Vijay. State Congress chief K Selvaperunthagai noted that a formal announcement regarding the official nominee would be issued directly by the AICC.