Chennai, June 4, 2026 — In a significant political gesture, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay has decided to allocate the state’s lone vacant Rajya Sabha seat to his alliance partner, the Indian National Congress.
The announcement was made on June 3, 2026, shortly after the seat fell vacant following the resignation of AIADMK leader C. Ve. Shanmugam, who successfully contested and won an Assembly seat in the April 2026 Tamil Nadu elections. A by-poll for the Rajya Sabha seat is scheduled for June 18, 2026.
Vijay, who heads the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK), leads a minority government after his party emerged as the single largest party in the 2026 Assembly elections with 107 seats. The government is being supported post-poll by the Congress and other smaller allies including VCK, CPI, and CPI(M). Congress support has been crucial in ensuring stability for the TVK-led administration.
Political observers view this decision as a strategic move to strengthen the TVK-Congress alliance ahead of the 2029 Lok Sabha elections. Congress leaders, including the party’s Tamil Nadu in-charge Girish Chodankar, have welcomed the gesture. Speculation is rife that senior Congress strategist Praveen Chakravarty could be a potential nominee for the seat, though the party is yet to announce an official candidate.
This development underscores Vijay’s approach to coalition politics in Tamil Nadu’s fragmented political landscape. While the move has been praised by alliance partners for demonstrating loyalty and pragmatism, some TVK supporters have expressed disappointment over the party missing an opportunity to send its first representative to the Rajya Sabha.
The decision is expected to further solidify the working relationship between TVK and Congress in the coming months.
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