With the allies of the ruling DMK and the principal Opposition AIADMK having set their eyes on the Rajya Sabha pie, the June 19 elections for the six seats from Tamil Nadu to the upper house of Parliament has taken an interesting turn.

Versatile actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) party founder president Kamal Hassan is all set to make his maiden entry into Parliament via the Rajya Sabha route with the support alliance partner, the ruling DMK in Tamil Nadu. Close on the heels of the release of his film ‘Thug Life’, directed by ace filmmaker Mani Ratnam, comes the Rajya Sabha election and the actor is expected to file his papers with the support of the DMK. He was already assured of it at the time of the 2024 LS election when the MNM joined the DMK-led alliance.

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Both the DMK and the AIADMK are expected to commence the process of shortlisting the candidates. A candidate would require the vote of 34 legislators to emerge victorious and the DMK could comfortably win four seats: three on its own and another one with the support of its allies. While the DMK’s strength in the assembly is 133, its allies account for Congress (17), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi of Thol Thirumavalavan (4), CPI and CPI(M) two each, more than what is required. The AIADMK with 66 legislators, including four from the rebel camp of former Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, can bag the remaining two seats. With the support of the four legislators of its national ally BJP, the AIADMK could ensure the victory of its second nominee.

While the DMK’s sitting MPs, P Wilson, legal eagle for the DMK, and MM Abdulla would get renomination, octogenarian trade union leader P Shanmugam might not. Marumalarchi DMK (MDMK) general secretary Vaiko, a staunch ally of the DMK, would have to yield it to Kamal Hassan this time. The MDMK has no representation in the assembly. The other two MPs vacating their seat are Pattali Makkal Katchi leader and former Union Minister Anbumani Ramadoss and the AIADMK’s N Chandrasekaran.

Interestingly, Anbumani had won last time with the support of the AIADMK. But this time around, the AIADMK is unlikely to return him to the upper house. Though the DMK has shut its door on the PMK, the party is delaying its alliance option for the 2026 assembly election, keeping the AIADMK in the waiting. The DMDK of Premalatha Vijayakant has been claiming that the party was assured of a seat by the AIADMK as part of the alliance pact ahead of the 2024 LS election and is awaiting a positive response from the AIADMK. But, AIADMK general secretary and former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) had maintained that no such understanding was there. The AIADMK wants to have both the seats for itself in view of many leaders vying for an RS ticket.

In the past, the AIADMK had helped (in 2019 and 2020) Anbumani Ramadoss of PMK and Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar) of GK Vasan to enter the Rajya Sabha as part of alliance deal, though both parties had no representation in the assembly. Now, there are many contenders in the AIADMK and prominent among them are former Tamil Nadu ministers S Semmalai, D Jayakumar and Gokula Indira. According to observes, it remains to be seen whether EPS will use RS election as a bargaining chip to lure the hesitant PMK and DMDK into the alliance or keep the two seats for the AIADMK, given the significance it has in Parliament in the present political context as it has no representation in the Lok Sabha.