Left Democratic Front candidate M.V. Shreyams Kumar and United Democratic Front nominee Lal Varghese Kalapakavady filed their nominations for election to the lone Rajya Sabha seat to be held on August 24.
The seat fell vacant following the death of Socialist veteran M.V. Veerendrakumar. With 89 LDF members, it would be cakewalk for Mr. Shreyams Kumar. Though the UDF has 43 members, split in the Kerala Congress (M) would be prove to be an embarrassment for the UDF. Equally significant is the votes of independent member P.C. George and lone Bharatiya Janata Party member O. Rajagopal.
After filing the nominations, Mr. Kumar told reporters that he would uphold the fight of the Left and secular forces in Parliament too. Asked about the stance of the Kerala Congress (M) faction led by Jose K. Mani, Mr. Kumar said that the front had not held any talks with them. The LDF has sufficient strength to win the election, he said.
Transport Minister and Nationalist Congress Party leader A.K. Saseendran and Kerala Congress (B) leader K.B. Ganesh Kumar supported candidature of Mr. Kumar.
Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala and Kerala Pradesh Congress president Mullapally Ramachandran who met reporters with Mr. Lal said that the UDF was putting up a symbolic fight to register its protest against the anti-people policies of the State government. Mr. Lal is a nominee of farmers and the fight is aimed at raising their plight, they said.
