Vaiko's nomination for Rajya Sabha poll found valid on Tuesday

Chennai: The nomination of Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) party General Secretary, Vaiko, for the July 18 Rajya Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu has been found valid on Tuesday.

The acceptance of the nomination papers of Vaiko, who is backed by the DMK, comes in the midst of doubts in the wake of Vaiko's conviction in a case of seditious speech by a Chennai court last week. He was sentenced to one year's imprisonment in the case.

Under the Representations of the People Act, a person convicted and sentenced to an imprisonment term of two years and more will be disqualified from contesting elections.

Vaiko on Saturday filed his nomination for the Rajya Sabha elections as a DMK-supported candidate. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) Chief MK Stalin was also present on the occasion. Yesterday, N R Elango, a DMK candidate, filed his nomination as a dummy candidate protectively in case Vaiko's nomination is rejected.

Stalin nominated M Shanmugham of DMK Labour Progressive Force (LPF) and advocate B Wilson for the other two vacancies the party can win on the basis of its numbers. The DMK had agreed to give one of its three Rajya Sabha seats to Vaiko, chief of MDMK, as part of an agreement in the recently held parliamentary elections.

Elections to the six Tamil Nadu Rajya Sabha seats is scheduled on July 18.