With stage set for the election to three Rajya Sabha seats in Kerala, including one currently held by the Kerala Congress (M) and set to fall vacant on July 1, attention now turns to whether the regional party can retain its berth.
The seats in question are currently held by Elamaram Kareem of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)], Binoy Viswam of the Communist Party of India (CPI), and Jose K. Mani of the KC(M). The LDF appears poised to secure victory for two while the UDF is expected to win one seat.
The KC(M), which has fostered high hopes within the Left Democratic Front (LDF), has already expressed its keen interest in retaining the seat and the issue was discussed extensively during its steering committee meeting on Monday. However, with the United Democratic Front set to win one seat and the CPI(M) resolved to maintain its hold, either the KC(M) or the CPI will have to yield.
