Congress picks Jebi Mather as Rajya Sabha candidate from Kerala

Mather will be the first Muslim woman to get elected to the Upper House from the state. Her name emerged amid intense lobbying by senior party leaders to secure a ticket to the Rajya Sabha.

Jebi Mather has also served as the national secretary of the Youth Congress and became the state president of the Mahila Congress last year. (Photo: Twitter/@AdvJebiMather)

The Congress has named Jebi Mather, the president of its women’s wing in Kerala, as the party candidate for the upcoming elections to the Rajya Sabha. The 43-year-old will be contesting the seat that will fall vacant after the retirement of Congress veteran A K Antony on April 2.

Mather will be the first Muslim woman to get elected to the Rajya Sabha from the state. Late Leela Damodara Menon of the Congress, who had served as a member of the Upper House from 1974 to 1980, was the last woman leader to represent Kerala in the Rajya Sabha. Besides, the Congress will be sending a Muslim leader from the state to the Upper House after a gap of 35 years.

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Currently the deputy chairperson of Aluva municipality in Ernakulam district, Mather emerged as the dark horse in the race amid intense lobbying by several senior Congress leaders to secure a ticket to the Upper House.

Responding to the announcement of her candidature, Mather said, “The party would have considered several factors before giving me the ticket. It is a recognition for women as well as youths. The candidature was unexpected. The party has given me a responsibility. Many others had been considered for the post, they were also eligible for the candidature,” she said.

Mather hails from a traditional Congress family. Her father K M I Mather is a Congress leader as well as the president of the Kerala Football Association. Her grandfather T O Bava had been the president of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC). Her brother Shaffi Mather had served as economic adviser to Congress leader Oommen Chandy when he was the state chief minister from 2011 to 2016.

Jebi Mather has also served as the national secretary of the Youth Congress and became the state president of the Mahila Congress last year.

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As many as three Rajya Sabha seats from the state will fall vacant with the retirement of A K Antony of the Congress, K Somaprasad of the CPI(M) and M V Shreyams Kumar of the Loktantrik Janata Dal (LJD). On Friday, two LDF candidates filed their nominations for the election which will be held on March 31.

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