Annulment of Devikulam election: Disqualified CPM MLA A Raja moves Supreme Court
By Aishwarya Nair | First Published Mar 29, 2023, 3:24 PM ISTThe Kerala High Court had cancelled the result of the 2021 assembly election held at the Devikulam constituency.
Delhi: A Raja of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) from Devikulam, a reserved assembly constituency in the Idukki district, has filed an appeal in the Supreme Court on Wednesday against the nullification of the election results.
In the petition, A Raja stated that the High Court verdict is not based on the verification of the official documents. He also stated that his ancestors migrated to Kerala before 1950, and he married according to Hindu customs. Therefore, the Supreme Court should quash the High Court's verdict.
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Advocate G Prakash filed the petition on behalf of A Raja. In the appeal, Raja says that he is the person who has every right to reservation.
In a major setback to the Communist Party of India-Marxist, the Kerala High Court cancelled the result of the 2021 assembly election held at the Devikulam constituency. The High Court observed that MLA A Raja is ineligible to contest in the reserved seat and disqualified him. The court noted that A Raja does not belong to the Scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe community.
The High Court took the decision after hearing the petition filed by UDF candidate D Kumar who had lost the election. The petition pointed out that Raja, a Christian, had contested the election by showing false documents. D Kumar filed a petition alleging that A Raja, who is not a Scheduled Caste member, has no right to be elected from Devikulam, which is a Scheduled Caste reserved constituency.
In his plea, Kumar had alleged that Raja is a Christian, baptised at a church in the hill district, and submitted a fake certificate to prove that he belongs to the SC community. Kumar also cited the solemnisation of Raja's marriage at the church and other evidence that suggest his Christian faith.
Raja defeated Kumar by a margin of 7,848 votes in the 2021 polls. With the disqualification of A Raja MLA, the strength of CPM members in the assembly reduces from 62 to 61. The ruling LDF alliance has the support of over 90 members in the state assembly.
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