Kottayam: The Kerala Congress (M) could choose soon Jose K Mani's successor for the Rajya Sabha seat that he is likely to vacate. A party meeting which is scheduled to be held soon will take a call on the Rajya Sabha candidature.
Jose, the party chairman, may tender his resignation at the earliest. If he steps down, then the Rajya Sabha bypoll could be held even before the tenure of the current Kerala Legislative Assembly expires.
The list of Rajya Sabha probables include N Jayaraj, the Kanjirappally MLA; journalist George Kallivayalil, party state secretary Stephen George and party's high-power committee member Prof K A Antony.
Jose had hinted recently that he would quit his Rajya Sabha seat soon. The Left Democratic Front (LDF) has reportedly reached an understanding to allot the seat to Kerala Congress (M) rather than stake claim to it.
Kanjirappally factor
The decision on whether the Kanjirappally assembly seat will be allotted to Kerala Congress (M) will also have a bearing on the candidature for the Rajya Sabha seat. The Communist Party of India (CPI) reiterated on Friday that it will not part with the Kanjirappally seat from where it has been contesting, while the Kerala Congress (M) leadership is confident of retaining it.
In the last Assembly elections in 2016, Jayaraj had won from Kanjirappally defeating a CPI candidate. Then Kerala Congress (M) was part of the Congress-led United Democratic Front. Now, Jose's Kerala Congress (M) is part of the LDF wherein the CPI is the second largest party after the CPM.
In case the Kanjirappally constituency is not given to Kerala Congress (M) then Jayaraj might get the Rajya Sabha berth. If that does not happen then the choice for the RS seat will be from among George Kallivayalil, Stephen George and Prof Antony.
Stephen George, old loyalist
Former MLA Stephen George had stood firmly with the late K M Mani when the party built by the latter had split. John was Mani's close confidante and now a member of the high-power committee of the Kerala Congress (M). It was Antony who convened the state committee meeting which elected Jose as the chairman. He is from Thodupuzha, the bastion of P J Joseph who heads the rival faction of the party remaining in the UDF.
