Chennai, June 3 (IANS) Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Wednesday announced that the lone Rajya Sabha seat from Tamil Nadu, for which elections are scheduled for September 18, has been allotted to the alliance partner, the Indian National Congress.

In a brief statement issued from the TVK headquarters secretariat, Vijay said the seat had been allocated to the Congress as part of the TVK-led alliance in Tamil Nadu. The announcement is being viewed as a significant political gesture aimed at strengthening ties within the opposition alliance ahead of future electoral battles.

The decision comes a day after senior Congress leader and former Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram met Vijay in Chennai. The meeting, which lasted for some time, triggered widespread political speculation over seat-sharing arrangements and the future course of cooperation between the two parties.

While neither side officially disclosed the details of the discussions, political observers had anticipated a major announcement regarding the Rajya Sabha election. Sources within the alliance indicated that the Chidambaram-Vijay meeting focused on coordination between alliance partners and ensuring a consensus candidate for the Upper House election. The allocation of the seat to the Congress is being seen as a direct outcome of those discussions.

The Congress is expected to formally announce its candidate in the coming days. Senior party leaders have welcomed TVK’s decision, describing it as a reflection of mutual trust and cooperation within the alliance.

The Rajya Sabha election assumes significance as the TVK-led alliance enjoys the support required to secure victory. Apart from the strength of TVK legislators, the alliance has also received crucial backing from five independent and allied MLAs who have extended their support to Vijay’s leadership in the Assembly. Their support further strengthens the alliance’s position in the electoral college for the Rajya Sabha poll.

Political analysts believe the move will help reinforce opposition unity in Tamil Nadu and send a message of stability within the TVK-led coalition. With the Rajya Sabha election now approaching, attention is expected to shift to the Congress nominee and the broader political implications of the alliance’s decision.

–IANS

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