THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Two ruling LDF candidates filed their nominations on Friday for the March 31 biennial election to fill three Rajya Sabha seats from Kerala that will fall vacant early next month following the retirement of members.
The LDF has fielded CPI(M) state committee member A A Rahim and CPI leader P Santhosh Kumar as the front's candidates and are likely to win the two seats. The opposition Congress has not announced its candidate for the remaining one seat so far.
The two Left leaders, accompanied by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, LDF convener A Vijayaraghavan, ministers and other leaders of the front, submitted their nomination papers to the State Assembly Secretary here.
The decision to share the seats between the CPI(M) and the CPI that the LDF is to contest was taken by the front at a recent meeting attended by its leaders, including Chief Minister Vijayan.
The Left alliance consists of CPI(M), CPI, KC(M), NCP, JD(S), Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD) and various smaller parties.
The elections are being held as the terms of senior Congress leader A K Antony, K Somaprasad (CPI-M) and M V Shreyams Kumar (LJD) will expire on April 2. March 21 is the last date for filing the nomination.