The Election Commission on Tuesday accepted the nomination of Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam General Secretary Vaiko’s nomination for the Rajya Sabha elections, ANI reported.
There was speculation that Vaiko’s nomination may be rejected since he was convicted of sedition and sentenced to a one-year prison term last week. However, Vaiko was not barred from contesting the Rajya Sabha election as sedition is not among the offences under the Representation of People Act that would lead to disqualification of a candidate, The Hindu reported.
Vaiko’s Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam or MDMK and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam had a pre-poll alliance under which MDMK was given a Lok Sabha seat and a nomination for the Rajya Sabha.
The DMK is eligible to get three members elected to the Rajya Sabha based on its alliance strength in Tamil Nadu. The party nominated Tamil Nadu Additional Advocate General P Wilson and general secretary of its trade union wing, M Shanmugam.
Vaiko had said on Monday that the third seat was offered to him “as an individual and not for my party”. It was an unwritten deal between us,” The Hindu quoted him as saying. “I believe my candidature for the Rajya Sabha election will be accepted. In which case, DMK’s NR Elango will withdraw his nomination.”
The DMK had also fielded Elango as a “precautionary measure” in case Vaiko’s nomination was rejected.
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