HC disqualifies Panchayat President for defection; Supports opposite party after winning as Congress candidate

KOCHI: The High Court ruled that contesting as a candidate for a party, winning and subsequently supporting the opposing party could be considered defection. Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas made this statement while disqualifying M P Sajeev under the Prohibition of Defection Act.

Sajeev, the president of Veliyanad Panchayat in Alappuzha district won as a Congress candidate from the ninth ward but went against the party whip by supporting the opposition's no-confidence motion. Despite being elected on a Congress ticket, Sajeev supported the opposition when they brought a no confidence motion against Sabu Chacko, a Congress member.

Consequently, he gained the support of the opposition and became the Panchayat President. A complaint filed by M Liju, then Alappuzha DCC president with the Election Commission to disqualify Sajeev was initially rejected due to irregularities in the issuance of the party whip. However, Liju approached the High Court, arguing that Sajeev's expulsion from the party was wrongly disregarded. The High Court dismissed Sajeev's argument and upheld his disqualification.