Thiruvananthapuram: The Congress has decided to contest the lone Rajya Sabha seat the United Democratic Front (UDF) could hope to win in the coming elections to the Upper House.

The Kerala Congress(M) which had put forward a strong claim for the seat on Thursday decided to stay away from the elections scheduled on June 26. The party announced that it would not participate in UDF liaison committee meetings in protest against the unilateral style of functioning of the leadership which had affected the stability and credibility of the coalition.

The KC(M) decision has created a mini-crisis in the UDF, but the Congress candidate could still win the seat with the support of 34 MLAs belonging to the UDF. The KC(M) leader K. M. Mani told The Hindu that his party had decided to stay away from the voting process as a mark of protest against the decision to overlook its claim for the sixth time in a row.

He said that even without the support of his party, the Congress candidate would be able to win the seat. "Our intention is, therefore, very clear. We do not intend to upset the UDF or defeat its candidate, but to express our protest," he said.

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Ramesh Chennithala announced the Congress decision at a press conference here on Thursday evening soon after a party executive committee meeting. The party has in effect achieved what it set out to do at the outset - wrest the Rajya Sabha seat irrespective of the claims of its constituents, the most prominent being the KC(M).

Kurien may get the ticket

According to information available, the Congress has proposed a list of seven candidates to the high command. Apart from P. J. Kurien, who is the outgoing MP, the others in the list include M. A. Kuttappan, M. I. Shanavas, Thalekunnil Basheer, N. P. Moideen, P. C. Chacko, and K. P. Unnikrishnan. Going by the mood of the high command, Prof. Kurien has a good chance of getting the party ticket. The high command will announce the nominee on Friday.

Mr. Chennithala, at his press conference, admitted that the Indian Union Muslim League and the KC(M) had a valid claim for the seat. But the Congress had no other alternative but to contest the seat in view of its national imperative to increase its presence in the Rajya Sabha. The KPCC chief did not fail to heap eulogies on Mr. Mani.

The decision to contest the seat should not be seen as ignoring the claims of the UDF partners, he said.

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