Thiruvananthapuram Corporation; CPM seeks invalidation of mayor, deputy mayoral polls

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The CPM has sought the invalidation of the mayoral and deputy mayoral elections in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation. Parliamentary party leader S P Deepak filed a plea in the high court on the issue. His plea claimed that the councilors whose oath was invalidated by the high court voted in the mayoral elections and this cannot be legally valid.

The plea said the voting by BJP councillors without authority is against the Municipal Act. The high court sent notices to the Election Commission and 20 BJP councillors on the plea. They have been directed to respond within three weeks.

After the court invalidated the oath taken in the name of favourite deities, BJP councillors in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation took the oath again in the name of God. 19 including deputy mayor Ashanath, took the oath again.

BJP councillor in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation R Sugathan, who is in preventive detention under KAAPA, had also taken the oath inside the jail. The oath was taken as per the high court's directive. Sugathan was also included in the list of 20 BJP councillors that the court cancelled. This is the first time in the history of Kerala that a public representative has taken the oath in a jail. Thiruvananthapuram Corporation Mayor V V Rajesh administered the oath of office. The oath was taken in the name of God.