THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The CPM and CPI will hold bilateral talks for LDF’s lone Rajya Sabha seat on Sunday. The crucial talks ahead of the Assembly election may figure other related issues, including seat sharing for the polls. The LDF has already started talks with those parties associating with the Left in this regard.
Three seats will fall vacant for Rajya Sabha from Kerala with A K Antony, K N Balagopal and T N Seema completing their tenure this time. Of the three seats, the UDF will get two while one will go to the Left front. Different parties in the Left front have staked claim for the lone seat. Following this, a decision was taken to hold bilateral talks between the CPM and CPI.
The CPM is of the view that since the two seats falling vacant currently belong to CPM leaders K N Balagopal and T N Seema, they should get the seat. The party wanted to send senior leader and politburo member M A Baby to the Rajya Sabha. However, since Baby is not very keen of taking up the seat, the CPM is now considering another name - Pattikajathi Kshema Samithi leader and former district panchayat president K Somaprasad. The party also feels that sending a Dalit leader to the Rajya Sabha could be advantageous in the Assembly polls.
The CPI has already raised its claim for the Rajya Sabha seat. After its two nominees - former CPI state assistant secretary K E Ismayil and former ‘Janayugom’ editor M P Achuthan - completed their tenure, the party could not send anyone to the Upper House of Parliament. Hence, the CPI has a claim for the seat. The party wants to send its national executive council member Benoy Viswom to the Rajya Sabha.
CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran said the party had conveyed the reasons behind its claim for the Rajya Sabha seat in the last LDF meet. “We have conveyed it in the LDF meet. Now, after discussions a mutually-agreeable decision will be taken,” he said.