THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The CPM and the CPI will contest two of the three seats in the upcoming Rajya Sabha election. The decision to hand over the seat to the CPI was taken at an LDF meeting held at 4 pm today. P Santhosh Kumar has been declared the candidate of the CPI. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan suggested that the CPI should be given a seat. Santosh Kumar is currently the CPI Kannur District Secretary and a member of the CPI State Council. The CPM is yet to announce its candidate.

The terms of LJD leaders MV Shreyams Kumar and K Somaprasad (CPM) are coming to an end. Apart from the CPI, the Janata Dal (S) and the NCP had also staked claims for the Rajya Sabha seat. However, the LDF leadership decided to hand over the seat to the CPI.