Chennai, March 4 (NationPress) The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) is poised to put forward senior leader M. Thambidurai and Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) President Anbumani Ramadoss as their nominees for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu, set to take place on March 16.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the election schedule on February 18, with nominations starting on February 26. The deadline for submitting nominations is March 5.

Given its current representation in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, along with the backing of alliance partners, the AIADMK-led coalition is in a favorable position to secure two seats in the Upper House.

As per insider information from the party, one of these seats has been earmarked for the PMK, a crucial ally in the AIADMK-led coalition. PMK President Anbumani Ramadoss is anticipated to be the party's candidate for this seat.

The second seat is expected to be awarded to M. Thambidurai, a seasoned AIADMK leader, former Union minister, and past Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha, who is currently serving as a Member of Parliament.

This allocation of one Rajya Sabha seat to the PMK was confirmed during a meeting of the AIADMK executive committee.

AIADMK General Secretary and Leader of the Opposition, Edappadi K. Palaniswami, officially announced the arrangement, stating that the PMK would contest one of the two available Rajya Sabha seats on March 16.

The AIADMK has experienced a decrease in its strength in the 234-member Tamil Nadu Assembly since the 2021 elections, where the party secured 66 seats.

A number of MLAs have since resigned to join the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), including notable figures such as O. Panneerselvam, Manoj Pandian, R. Vaithilingam, K. Ayyappan, and K.A. Sengottaiyan.

Additionally, the passing of Valparai MLA Amul Kandasamy has further diminished the party's representation.

Currently, the AIADMK's presence in the Assembly stands at approximately 60 MLAs.

Nonetheless, the party expects support from its alliance partners, which include three MLAs from the PMK and four from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

With this coalition support, the AIADMK-led alliance could potentially gather around 66 votes, which is likely enough to ensure the election of both candidates to the Rajya Sabha.

Given the favorable numbers, AIADMK leadership is optimistic about successfully sending both its nominee and that of their ally to the Upper House in the upcoming elections.