Two LDF candidates, one UDF candidate elected unopposed to RS

Two ruling LDF candidates and one from the opposition UDF were elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Kerala for the biennial elections to the Upper house.

Elamaram Kareem of CPI(M), Binoy Viswam of CPI, both from ruling CPI(M)-led LDF and Jose K Mani of Kerala Congress, nominee of Congress-led UDF, were declared elected today, on the last day for withdrawal of nomination for the polls scheduled for June 21.

They were declared elected and issued certificates, official sources said.

The election was necessitated as the terms of senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman P J Kurien, C P Narayanan (CPI(M)) and Joy Abraham (Kerala Congress) end on July 1.

Mani, son of KC-M supremo K M Mani, is currently the party's lone member in the Lok Sabha.

Decision of the Congress to forgo its claim to the RS seat and support KC-M candidate to pave way for it (KC-M) to return to UDF after a gap of two years, had raised rumblings in the main opposition party.

The state Congress leadership had come under severe criticism from Kurien, former KPCC chief V M Sudheeran and some sitting MLAs for the decision to not field its candidate and back the KC-M nominee.