CPI and Kerala Congress(M) demanding seat; Rajya Sabha seat sharing becomes deadlock issue for LDF

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Seat sharing is becoming a deadlock issue for the LDF as it could win only two of the three Rajya Sabha seats falling vacant from Kerala. CPM central committee member Elamaram Kareem, CPI state secretary Binoy Viswam and Kerala Congress(M) chairman Jose K Mani's six-year term ends on July 1. The election is in June.

One seat is guaranteed to be taken by CPM. The problem is to whom to give the remaining seat. If one person vacating the seat is the state secretary of the party, the other is the chairman of the party. If the seat is shared for 3 years, the assembly elections will be over by then. If the party does not come to power again, the seat will be lost. Panchayath elections are to be held next year and assembly elections will be held in 2026. CPI is in the process of raising the demand in the next LDF meeting. The Kerala Congress M Steering Committee meeting on 13th will decide on the issue. The reason for RSP leaving the Left Front was that it was not given a Rajya Sabha seat.

In the meeting for dividing Loksabha seats, it was agreed to give the one seat UDF has based on its strength in the assembly to the Muslim League. This was due to the League vying for a third seat apart from Malappuram and Ponnani.

Must wait three years

Earlier, when there was a Rajya Sabha seat dispute, one of the two seats was taken by the CPM and the other seat was shared between two parties for three years each. This time, even if a vacancy is created by resigning in 2027, it is not certain that the party will be in power then. Assembly elections will be held in 2026. Seat vacancy will happen only in April 2027. John Brittas, V. Sivadasan (CPM) and PV Abdul Wahab (League) will be vacating then. If there is no governance, only one seat can be won. AA Rahim (CPM), P. Santosh Kumar (CPI) and Jebi Mather (Congress) will vacate in April 2028.