"AIADMK in third place is new reality," says Manickam Tagore ahead of TN Assembly polls

New Delhi [India], February 18 (ANI): Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Wednesday alleged that the central government had rushed early Rajya Sabha elections in Tamil Nadu to benefit the BJP.
He claimed that Home Minister Amit Shah is aware of internal surveys that showed the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) with declining prospects, potentially limiting the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) gains to two seats now but risking zero after the 2026 Assembly polls.
In a post on X, Tagore dismissed alliance talks between AIADMK leaders, predicting their vote share below 20 per cent and a third-place finish as a growing reality.
" Home Minister Amit Shah can pretend not to know the situation in Tamil Nadu... but aren't all the internal survey results on his desk? I have attached a sample. That is why there is a rush to hold Rajya Sabha elections early without waiting for the 2026 assembly elections. The reason is simple, now we can somehow get two Rajya Sabha seats. What if after the elections, we cannot even count a single seat? Nainar Nagendran (BJP state chief) and Edappadi K. Palaniswami (of AIADMK) say that if they join forces, there will be a big wave... but the big question is whether they can even cross 20% of the vote in 2026! AIADMK's third place is no longer 'shocking news' -- it is slowly becoming a 'political reality'. The people of Tamil Nadu cannot be counted in the political account book. Once they have made their decision, no emergency plans can change it."
The post came after the Election Commission of India (ECI) today 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, as per a press release.
According to the release, 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 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. Candidates can withdraw their nominations till March 9. Polling is scheduled to take place on March 16, with the counting of votes on the same day at 5 pm. The election process will be completed by March 20.
The ECI has instructed that only integrated violet-coloured sketch pens must be used for marking the preferences on the ballot paper.
"The Commission has directed that only integrated violet colour sketch pen(s) of pre-fixed specification, provided by the Returning Officer, shall be used for the purpose of marking preference(s) on the ballot paper. No other pen shall be used for marking preferences in the above said elections," the press note read.
It also noted that adequate measures must be taken by appointing observers to ensure a smooth and fair conduct of the election process. (ANI)