Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 10: The Kerala Congress (M), a key constituent of the ruling Congress-led UDF in Kerala, with nine MLAs, today made it clear that party legislators would support the official nominees put up by Congress high command for the April 14 Rajya Sabha polls in the state. "We are one of the partners in the UDF. We will abide by the Congress leadership decision and vote for the nominees of the Congress high command and KPCC," party leader and state revenue minister, K M Mani told reporters here today. "There is nothing unclear in it. AICC general secretary, Vayalar Ravi and former KPCC president Thennala Balakrishna Pillai are the candidates of the Congress leadership," he said. Stating that the dispute over the Rajya Sabha berth was an internal problem of the Congress, he said the issue should be settled amicably. "We hope the issue will be settled amicably and that is our wish," Mani said. The Congress unit in Kerala plunged into a crisis after the faction identified with senior Congress leader K Karunakaran fielded Kasargode DCC president Kodoth Govindan Nair as the third Congress candidate opposite the two official candidates.

Going by the strength in the assembly, the UDF can win two seats and the opposition LDF, one.

Bureau Report