The CPI(M) chief and previous Tripunithara MLA M Swaraj approached Kerala High Court on Tuesday looking for the assertion that the election of congress candidate K Babu from the Tripunithara constituency null and void.
According to the current elections withinside the State hung on 06.04.2021, the respondent turned into elected as an MLA from the stated Constituency. The counting of votes on 02.05.2021 found out that the respondent had secured 992 votes greater than the petitioner. The petition entreated that the election of the respondent turned into vitiated with the aid of using corrupt practices below numerous provisions of the Representation of People Act.
The petition states that about 70% of the citizens in Tripunithara are believers of Lord Sabarimala Ayyappa. Considering this, the respondent appealed to numerous citizens to vote for him withinside the call of Lord Sabarimala Ayyappa, failure to result in the displeasure of Lord Ayyappa. Another allegation withinside the election petition is that in the respondent’s election campaign, claimed that the petitioner turned into now no longer authentic to his Hindu faith and stood in opposition to the ideals concerning Lord Sabarimala Ayyappa. This turned into purportedly introduced in his speech via a mic connected to a massive soundbar on a vehicle. Another aspect of the petitioner’s argument is that devotees of Lord Sabarimala Ayyappa do now no longer represent a separate nonsecular denomination. They are completely Hindus sharing not unusual place nonsecular tenets with that of Hindu faith. Such systematic appeals are imagined to have affected the election consequences materially, placing the election petitioner in a prejudiced position.
The petitioner approached the High Court praying for an order placing apart the stated election at the floor that he indulged in corrupt practices with the aid of using interfering with loose exercising of electoral rights of the devotees of Lord Sabarimala Ayyappa. It turned into additionally prayed that the petitioner is declared because the back candidate withinside the aforementioned elections to the Kerala Legislative Assembly.
-Report by Manaswa Sharma