The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has released its list of Rajya Sabha candidates and has allocated one seat to Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) president and actor Kamal Haasan. According to a press release issued from Chief Minister MK Stalin’s office on Wednesday, May 28, the DMK has renominated senior advocate and incumbent Rajya Sabha member P Wilson, poet and writer Salma, a party spokesperson, and former MLA from Salem, SR Sivalingam.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) had earlier announced the schedule of the biennial elections to fill six Rajya Sabha seats. The polling and counting will be held on June 19. Among those whose terms are set to expire in July is M Shanmughan. M Mohammed Abdulla, PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss, MDMK’s Vaiko and P Wilson.
Ahead of the 2024 general elections, Kamal’s MNM had chosen to ally with the DMK-led coalition. MNM was allocated one Rajya Sabha seat at the time. It may be noted that TNM broke the news of DMK’s offer to the MNM chief in its exclusive newsletter Powertrip in March 2024.
Wilson, the sitting MP, has also previously served as the Additional Solicitor General of India and Additional Advocate General of Tamil Nadu.
A Rokkaiah Malik, whose pen name is Salma, is a well-known Tamil poet, writer and activist. Her work has received critical acclaim, particularly for her representation of Muslim women in rural Tamil Nadu. Salma’s writings have also been widely translated into English.
Her novel, Irandaam Jaamangalin Kadhai, was published in English as The Hour Past Midnight. Her collection of short stories, Sabam, was translated into English as Curse and published by Speaking Tiger. The English translation of her novel Manaamiyangal was published by Penguin Random House as Women Dreaming.