Kerala Left in quandary as 3 Rajya Sabha vacancies arise

Thiruvananthapuram, May 11 As the results of the Lok Sabha polls are awaited on June 4, a fresh issue appears to have surfaced in Kerala and all eyes are on how the ruling CPI-M-led Left is going to navigate it.

Three members are due to retire from Kerala from the Upper House on July 1, and the problem now is that while all the retiring members belong to the Left, the new nominees will see the Left winning two, while the Congress-led UDF is certain to win one.

The retiring members are state party chiefs of two Left allies -- Binoy Viswam who heads the CPI in Kerala, and Jose K. Mani of the Kerala Congress (Mani) (KC-M) and CPI-M veteran Elamaram Kareem.

With the Congress-led UDF certain to win one, the ruling Left will win only two, of which one will certainly be taken by big brother CPI-M. Then it is whether CPI or KC-M gets the nomination.

While the CPI is the second biggest ally in the ruling Left and has been with the Left Democratic Front (LDF) since its formation, the KC-M is the third biggest ally which joined the Left only in 2020, after their party split, the one led by Mani joined the LDF.

A political critic, on condition of anonymity, said that it’s a ‘Catch 22’ situation for CPI-M.

“The situation will become clearer when the Lok Sabha polls results come out on June 4. The CPI has contested for two seats and the KC-M one. The results will be crucial for both these parties. The CPI-M will be the last word if both CPI and KC-M insist on the one seat,” said the critic.

Mani has been in the Parliament since 2009, when he won his first win and retained his Kottayam Lok Sabha seat at the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, but with a year remaining as part of a political adjustment, the Congress gifted one of their Rajya Sabha seat to Mani.

After his party moved over to the Left in 2020, he resigned and contested again and won his seat. Now all eyes are on the CPI-M, with one seat, and whom they will back.

The notification for the elections to the three seats is expected anytime now.

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