TVK-led alliance allots Tamil Nadu Rajya Sabha seat to Congress

NEW DELHI: The Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK)-led alliance has allotted a Rajya Sabha seat from Tamil Nadu to its alliance partner, the Indian National Congress, ahead of the biennial elections scheduled for June 18. AICC functionary Praveen Chakravarty is likely to file nomination papers for the seat on Friday or Monday, according to Congress sources.In a statement, the alliance announced that the seat falling vacant from Tamil Nadu and set to be filled through the upcoming Rajya Sabha election has been allocated to the Congress as part of the seat-sharing arrangement within the TVK-led front. The election to Rajya Sabha seat is being held due to AIADMK leader C Ve Shanmugam's resignation. Congress Tamil Nadu, election in-charge, Girish, Chodankar, had met CM Vijay earlier in the day. "I have just met the chief minister, and I have urged him, requested him that this seat should be allocated to us by them and then it will also help us in the Parliament in Rajya Sabha," he said."I think CM should be considering our request, it looks like. Candidates' names are finalised only by the central election authority of the Congress party. The moment this seat is announced as a Congress seat, then we will request our central election committee to decide on our candidate," he added.The Rajya Sabha election for the seat is scheduled to be held on June 18.