DMK MP Tiruchi Siva, nominated for the Rajya Sabha polls, attacked the BJP, saying Tamil Nadu will be its ‘Waterloo’. He highlighted an ideological clash and reaffirmed his loyalty to the party. The DMK also announced its other candidates.
Following his nomination as a candidate for the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) for the upcoming Rajya Sabha polls, MP Tiruchi Siva on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the BJP, asserting that Tamil Nadu would prove to be the party’s “Waterloo”, drawing reference to the French military leader Napoleon Bonaparte’s defeat in the Battle of Waterloo, which ended his imperial conquest.
Speaking in Chennai after being named as a candidate for the Rajya Sabha polls, the DMK leader said the political contest in Tamil Nadu is fundamentally ideological between the Dravidian policy and the “unilateral” ideology of the NDA led by the BJP. He further alleged that while the DMK believes in upholding constitutional principles, the BJP is attempting to undermine the country’s foundational values. “It is between the Dravidian policy and the NDA, which is only unilateral. They want everything to be singular; we want everything to be plural. India’s linguistic differences must be based on unity in diversity. DMK believes in upholding what the constitutional verdict says, while the Union government, being run by the BJP and attempting to enter Tamil Nadu, is totally against the basic principles of this, and they can never achieve this. What Waterloo was to Napoleon, Tamil Nadu will be to the BJP,” he said.
Pledges to be ‘Voice of DMK’
Emphasising his commitment to the party, Siva said he would continue to raise the voice of the DMK in Parliament. “I will be the representative and raise the voice of DMK whenever and wherever necessary,” he added.
Expressing gratitude to the party leadership, Siva said his loyalty remains with the DMK and its leadership and thanked Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK Chief MK Stalin and Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin for their support. “My loyalty is to the party, and my leader endorsed what I have done so far. My responsibility will now be increasing. I will be the voice of our leaders,” he said.
DMK Announces Candidates, Allots Seats to Allies
His remarks come after the DMK, earlier today, announced its candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections scheduled on March 16, while also finalising seat allocations for its allies in the state. Out of the four Rajya Sabha seats allocated to the DMK, one seat has been allotted to the Congress and another to the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam (DMDK). The DMK, in a statement, has officially nominated Tiruchi Siva and Professor J. Constantine Ravindran as its candidates for the remaining two seats. Both leaders will contest as the official representatives of the DMK.
Election Schedule Details
The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the schedule for the upcoming biennial elections to the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) to fill the 37 seats across 10 states, as the members are set to complete their term in April 2026, a press note stated.
According to the press note, the term of 37 members who were elected from Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Telangana will conclude in the month of April, vacating the seats for new members to be elected. The notification will be issued on February 26, commencing the election process. The last date of nominations is March 5, followed by scrutiny on March 6. The candidates can withdraw their nominations till March 9. The polling is scheduled to take place on March 16, with the counting of votes on the same day at 5 pm. (ANI)
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