Intense tussle on as 10 leaders, allies PMK and DMDK vie AIADMK's two Rajya Sabha seats

CHENNAI: The tussle among senior leaders of the AIADMK has intensified over two out of the six Rajya Sabha seats, which will fall vacant in June this year.

While party chief Edappadi K Palaniswami is keen to allot one of the seats to a Muslim leader, preferably the party’s presidium chairperson A Tamil Magan Hussain, to appease the minority community, a fierce battle is unfolding among a host of senior leaders for a slot in the upper house.

Sources within the party have stated that Palaniswami is unwilling to cede one of the seats to their ally, the DMDK, as claimed by its chief Premalatha Vijayakant. He made his position clear during a media interaction in Attur, Salem, on Tuesday, stating that the AIADMK had never committed to allotting a Rajya Sabha seat to its ally.

AIADMK’s sitting Rajya Sabha MP N Chandrasegharan’s tenure will conclude on July 25 this year. “At least 10 senior leaders are vying to replace Chandrasegharan as a Rajya Sabha member. Pressure groups are actively making their moves,” said an insider, who listed Tamil Magan Hussain, Vindhya, S Semmalai, Jayakumar (or his son Jayavardhan), Gokula Indira, and Vaigaiselvan as contenders.

However, the party’s presidium chairperson has an advantage, as his candidacy for the Rajya Sabha would help the party appease the minority community, whose influence could be crucial in determining the outcome of elections in 60 to 80 Assembly seats across the State. The sources also did not rule out that Palaniswami would give another term for Chandrasegharan. “Jayakumar is also pushing hard for a Rajya Sabha seat, either for himself or his son Jayavardhan, who suffered a heavy defeat in the Lok Sabha elections in Chennai South,” said the source, privy to the developments.

Meanwhile, the PMK has reached out to Palaniswami, requesting that the second Rajya Sabha seat be allocated to Anbumani Ramadoss, whose tenure will end alongside Chandrasegharan in July. This request is seen as a goodwill gesture in support of their alliance for the 2026 Assembly elections. In fact, the top agenda of PMK leader GK Mani’s recent meeting with Palaniswami was to ensure Anbumani’s continued membership in the Rajya Sabha with the support of the AIADMK. “Our leader did not yield to this though he is interested in having the PMK in our alliance for the polls in 2026,” said another insider.

For an RS seat, a total of 34 MLAs should vote. As the DMK holds the numbers to back four out of the six MP seats, the AIADMK finds itself dependent on its allies, including the PMK and BJP, to secure the second seat. AIADMK has 65 MLAs. While 61 MLAs are in the EPS camp, ousted AIADMK leader and former CM O Panneerselvam has four in his fold. “The AIADMK needs the support of the BJP and the OPS camp to comfortably sail through the contest. Alternatively, they can still make it if the DMK refrains from fielding a fifth candidate, which would make the situation more challenging for EPS,” said AIADMK ex-leader KC Palaniswamy.