Cong candidate Praveen Chakravarty set to be elected unopposed to RS from TN

Chennai, Jun 8 (PTI) The ruling TVK-backed Congress candidate Praveen Chakravarty is set to be elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Tamil Nadu.

The 53-year-old Congress leader from Kesavaperumalpuram, Chennai, is chairperson of the Data Analytics and Professionals Wing of the Congress, and he has been nominated to the lone seat that fell vacant due to the resignation of AIADMK leader C Ve Shanmugam following his election from Mayilam Assembly constituency as MLA in the just concluded Assembly polls.

Besides Chakravarty, independent candidates too have filed their nominations as of June 8, the last date for filing of the papers. After scrutiny on June 9 and withdrawal of candidature on June 11, the election will be held on June 18, if required.

According to an official at the Secretariat, the candidature of Chakravarty alone has the backing of the ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam, while the independents lack the support of any political parties.

The Dravidian majors – the AIADMK and DMK – did not enter the fray, thus eliminating the scope for a contest.

The papers of the independent candidates are likely to be rejected, as each nomination should be proposed and seconded by at least ten MLAs.

The nomination of Praveen Chakravarty, who filed his papers on June 4, was proposed by TVK founder and Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay and seconded by TVK leaders.

Though Vijay could have sent his own party member to the Rajya Sabha, he chose to allot the seat to the ally Congress. Two MLAs from the grand old party – S Rajesh Kumar and P Viswanathan – have already been accommodated in the TVK Cabinet as Minister for Tourism and Higher Education, respectively.

Chakravarty will be the party’s second member to get elected unopposed. Earlier, M Christopher Tilak from Tiruchirappalli was elected unopposed as an RS member with the backing of the DMK just before the Assembly election. Post-election, the Congress snapped ties with the DMK and joined the TVK government. PTI JSP JSP ADB