Adding fuel to the speculations on his entry into State politics, Kerala Congress (M) chairman Jose K. Mani resigned from Rajya Sabha on Saturday.
According to the KC(M) sources, Mr. Mani submitted his resignation letter to the Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday morning. He would now be contesting in the State Legislative Assembly elections either from Pala or Kaduthuruthy as a candidate of the Left Democratic Front (LDF).
Mr. Mani had announced his resignation from the Upper House as early as October last year. However, he delayed the move in view of a legal battled with the KC(M) rival faction led by P.J. Joseph over the party symbol ‘two leaves’.
But with the Central Election Commission and the Kerala High Court ruling in his favor, Mr. Mani decided to step down so as to facilitate his entry into State-level politics.
The delay in him resigning from the post despite a public announcement had drawn sharp criticism from the United Democratic Front.
Meanwhile, party sources hinted that the Rajya Sabha seat vacated by Mr. Mani would be allotted to KC(M) by the LDF in the next election cycle.
