KC(M) to keep off Rajya Sabha election

Has not taken a final decision on coalition partner: Mani

Kerala Congress (M) which has not been able to finalise on the issues regarding the entry into any of the political coalitions after its exit from the UDF, has decided not to cast its votes in the forthcoming election for the lone Rajya Sabha seat from the State.

Briefing media persons after a meeting of the party’s steering committee here on Sunday, party chairman K.M. Mani pointed out that the party had not taken a final decision regarding its coalition relationships. ‘‘In that background, we have decided to keep away from participating in the Rajya Sabha election,” he said.

The party has one Rajya Sabha MP, one Lok Sabha MP and six MLAs who are eligible for voting in the Rajya Sabha election.

However, the decision to keep away from voting is not expected to affect the poll outcome.

The vacancy for the lone Rajya Sabha seat arose when JD (U) leader M.P. Veerendrakumar resigned his seat in December last after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar decided to embrace the NDA bandwagon. Later, Mr. Veerendrakumar had left the UDF expressing his intention to associate with the LDF.

Mr. Veerendrakumar has been elected by his faction to contest the Rajya Sabha poll as the party's candidate whom the LDF is expected to support.

The meeting also decided not to take any formal decision regarding the party's stance in the Chengannur byelection at this juncture since the date for the byelection has not been announced so far.

“We will take a decision after detailed discussions once the byelection date is announced,” he said.

The meeting also decided to launch farmers’ agitations taking up the crisis in the farm sector. A Karshaka Sangamom has been scheduled for April 27 in Kottayam as part of this. The agrarian agitations would be against the anti-farmer policies of the State and Central governments, Mr. Mani said.