Setback for Suresh Gopi; plea seeking to quash Lok Sabha membership maintainable, should face trial

KOCHI: Actor and Union Minister Suresh Gopi has suffered a setback as the Kerala High Court ruled that the plea seeking to quash his Lok Sabha membership from Thrissur is maintainable and that he must face trial. The court rejected Suresh Gopi’s sub plea challenging the validity of the election plea. The court made it clear that the plea against him will stand and directed that he must face trial. The order was issued by Justice Kauser Edappagath. The plea was filed by the Thrissur district president of the All India Youth Federation.

The plea alleged that Suresh Gopi used religious symbols during the election campaign and attempted to influence voters by appealing to religious sentiments, which amounts to electoral malpractice. However, his argument that the plea was not legally valid was dismissed by the high court. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Suresh Gopi won from Thrissur with a majority of 74,686 votes.