Mammootty denies reports of Rajya Sabha nomination by CPI-M

Thiruvananthapuram, June 4 (IANS) Malayalam cinema superstar Mammootty has denied that the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) would field him for one of the three Rajya Sabha seats from Kerala.

"I deny these news reports because till date I have not been contacted by the CPI-M. It is not true at all because if that was the case they would have asked me," Mammootty told IANS over telephone from a shooting location in Kochi.

Asked whether he would be interested if the CPI-M made an offer, the actor said: "Interest is different."

With a strength of 98 seats in the 140-member assembly, the CPI-M-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) can win two seats and the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) one. The latter has 42 legislators.

The election will be held June 26.

Mammootty is known to be close to the CPI-M. He is the chairman of Kairali television channel in which the CPI-M has a stake.