Kamal Haasan, DMK and AIADMK candidates file nominations for Rajya Sabha election

DMK and AIADMK candidates file nominations for Tamil Nadu Rajya Sabha seats, revealing assets and income details.

Three candidates fielded by the DMK — P. Wilson (sitting MP), Rajathi (better known as poet Salma), and S.R. Sivalingam and actor and Makkal Needhi Maiam founder Kamal Haasan — filed their nominations on Friday for the biennial election for six seats from Tamil Nadu to the Rajya Sabha. Former AIADMK legislators I.S. Inbadurai and M. Dhanapal also submitted their papers on the same day expecting to bag the remaining two seats from Tamil Nadu to the House of the States.

All six candidates submitted their nomination papers to B. Subramaniyam, Returning Officer and Additional Secretary in Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly Secretariat, in Chennai. DMK president and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin was present when Mr. Wilson, Ms. Salma, Mr. Sivalingam, and Mr. Haasan filed their papers. AIADMK general secretary and former Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami was present when Mr. Inbadurai and Mr. Dhanapal filed their nomination papers.

A total of six seats in the Upper House are scheduled to fall vacant in July this year, necessitating the biennial election. The last day of filing nominations is June 9). Any nominations received will be taken up for scrutiny the following day. The last day for withdrawal of nominations, if any, is June 12. If there is any contest, the polling is scheduled on June 19. If their papers are found to be in order and if there are only six candidates are in the fray, they will be declared winners on June 12.

As on Friday, nine candidates have submitted their papers.

According to the affidavit submitted by Mr. Haasan, his total income during 2023-24 was ₹78.90 crore. He has listed movable assets in his name valued at ₹59.69 crore and self-acquired immovable assets in his name that have a market price of ₹212.36 crore, and inherited assets valued at ₹33.50 crore. He has no criminal cases pending against him. Mr. Wilson, an incumbent Rajya Sabha MP, mentioned his total income as ₹8.27 crore during 2023-24. He has movable assets in his name valued at ₹12.58 crore, immovable assets (self-acquired and inherited assets) with a market price of ₹28.08 crore. He has listed loans (jointly with spouse) to the tune of ₹1.15 crore. He has no criminal case pending against him.

Ms. Salma has mentioned her total income as ‘NIL’ and has also mentioned she has not filed income tax returns. She has no criminal case pending against her. She has listed movable assets in her name valued at ₹90.09 lakh, self-acquired immovable assets in her name, which have a market price of ₹80 lakh, and inherited assets valued at ₹1.15 crore. She has listed nil loans in her name. There are three criminal cases pending against Mr. Sivalingam. His total income was ₹14.52 lakh during 2023-24 and movable assets in his name are valued at ₹76.04 lakh, self-acquired immovable assets in his name have a market price of ₹58.61 lakh. He has listed loans to the tune of ₹64.30 lakh.

Mr. Inbadurai said he had no criminal cases pending against him. His total income was ₹16.09 lakh during 2023-24, as per his affidavit. He has movable assets in his name valued at ₹64.49 lakh, two self-acquired immovable assets in his name that have a market price of ₹4 lakh and ₹2.50 crore. He has listed loans to the tune of ₹1.31 crore. Mr. Dhanapal has listed two criminal cases pending against him. His income was ₹8.06 lakh during 2023-24. He has listed movable assets in his name valued at ₹5.09 crore, self-acquired immovable assets in his name that have a market price of ₹2.62 crore and inherited assets valued at ₹84 lakh. He has listed loans to the tune of ₹50 lakh.