DMDK seeks Congress support for Rajya Sabha polls

Chennai: A day after the main opposition party DMDK entered the fray for the June 27 biennial elections to the Rajya Sabha from Tamil Nadu, the party approached the Congress seeking support for its candidate.

"Five DMDK MLAs met me and gave me a letter, which requested Congress support for their candidate in the RS polls. I have forwarded the letter to Delhi... Party high command will take a decision on it," Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president B S Gnanadesikan told a news agency. DMDK, headed by actor-turned-politician Vijayakant, has fielded party treasurer A R Elangovan as its candidate and biennial elections for six Rajya Sabha seats from the state seems headed for a contest. The ruling AIADMK is already assured of four seats with its strength of 151 members in the 234-member state Assembly. With Chief Minister Jayalalithaa agreeing to withdraw the candidature of her party`s K Thangamuthu, who was nominated for the fifth seat, in favour of CPI`s D Raja, he is expected to gain the required 34 votes for victory. The DMDK and DMK are now set to fight for the sixth seat in the polls with the latter having renominated Kanimozhi, party supremo Karunanidhi`s daughter. Though DMDK has 29 members in the 234-seat Assembly, seven of them are considered dissidents. Following is the party position in the assembly: AIADMK 151, DMDK 29, DMK 23, CPM 10, CPI 8, CONG 5, PMK 3, MMK 2, Puthiya Thamilagam 2, All India Forward Bloc 1. PTI