Rajya Sabha elections to fill 25 vacancies, including one seat linked to Tamil Nadu, are expected to be announced at any time, according to political sources in Delhi.
The vacancies arise as the terms of 24 MPs from several states are set to end between June 21 and July 19. In Tamil Nadu, a separate election is required after AIADMK’s C.V. Shanmugam resigned his Rajya Sabha membership upon winning the Mayilam Assembly seat; the remaining term for that seat runs until 2028.
In Andhra Pradesh, four Rajya Sabha members are to be elected. Sources said the ruling National Democratic Alliance in the state—comprising the Telugu Desam Party, Jana Sena and the BJP—plans to finalise nominees based on an internal seat-sharing understanding.
Within that arrangement, BJP’s central leadership is said to be considering nominating former Tamil Nadu BJP president K. Annamalai from Andhra Pradesh, and has reportedly conveyed this to its alliance partners.
For the Tamil Nadu-linked seat, the ruling TVK is expected to field a candidate. Party circles have mentioned several names, including retired IPS officer Ravi, Vishnu Reddy, political strategist John Arokiyasamy, Jagadish, former minister K.P. Krishnan, and astrologer Ricky Ratan Pandit, with speculation continuing over whether a new face could also emerge.
