Thiruvananthapuram: M V Shreyams Kumar, the LJD president, reacting to the Left Democratic Front's (LDF) decision to hand over his sitting Rajya Sabha seat to the CPI, said that the CPI bargained for it.
Kumar, who is the son of M.P. Veerendra Kumar, got the Rajya Sabha seat after his father passed away in 2020. His term is ending on April 2.
Meanwhile, with three Rajya Sabha seats falling vacant including that of Kumar, the LDF decided to give Kumar's seat to the CPI and this decision has irked Kumar.
"The CPI used their bargaining power to get the seat. We are now keenly watching the CPI's position on issues like K-Rail, the tweaking of the Lokayukta rules and also the liquor policy. What I understand is in the just ended assembly session, the CPI members had a different position on issues," said Kumar.
But CPI state secretary Kanam Rajendran did not fall for Kumar's bait and said all this was discussed at the LDF meeting.
"I don't think I need to give a reply to this because the LDF cleared it and the nomination papers have also been filed and hence this is a closed chapter. On the K-Rail issue, what's happening now will continue," said Rajendran.
While the CPI is the second biggest party in the LDF, Kumar's party has just one legislator.
LJD till 2017 was an ally of the Congress led UDF and since then they have moved to the LDF.
Pinarayi is cut up with Kumar ever since the LJD was given three sitting seats to contest and he could win only one in the April 2021 assembly polls and Kumar, though a Upper House member contested the polls but lost at his home turf Kalpetta, a seat that he had won twice in the past.
(With inputs from IANS)
