Elamaram Kareem was industrial minister in the V S Achuthanandan-led LDF government. Kannur: Senior CPM leader and former minister Elamaram Kareem will be the party's candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections. The decision was taken by the party's state secretariat which met here on Friday.
The decision to field Kareem, a CPM central committee member and CITU state secretary, was taken at the party secretariat meeting here, party state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said.
Kareem was industries minister in the LDF government headed by V S Achuthanandan in 2006.
He had also served as general secretary of the CITU Road Transport Workers Federation and secretary of The All India Road Transport Federation.
The CPI, the second largest ally of the CPM-led LDF, has chosen Binoy Viswam as its candidate for one of the three vacant Rajya Sabha seats.
The third one, which the opposition UDF is eligible to win, has been given to Kerala Congress (M) by the Congress-led UDF. The KC(M) has decided to field party supremo K M Mani's son, Jose K Mani, as its candidate.
Three Rajya Sabha seats from Kerala are falling vacant this month. Of these, the ruling LDF is in a position to win two and the UDF, one. Besides Congress' P J Kurian, those retiring are C P Narayanan of CPM and Joy Abraham of the Kerala Congress.
The Rajya Sabha biennial poll is slated for June 21.
