Thrippunithura assembly election case: High Court to pronounce verdict today

KOCHI: The High Court will pronounce its verdict in the Thrippunithura assembly election case today. Justice PG Ajith Kumar will deliver the verdict on the petition filed by LDF candidate M Swaraj seeking annulment of Congress leader K Babu's V victory. The election-time verdict on Babu's MLA seat case is important for both groups.

The petition alleged that there had been a violation of rules in the campaign of K Babu in the 2021 elections. The main allegation is that Ayyappa Swamy's picture was added along with the candidate's photo in the slip distributed by the UDF to the voters. Swaraj argued that it was spread in the constituency that K Babu losing is like Ayyappan Swami losing, and that the use of religion was a violation of the Representation of the People Act. Photographs of campaign materials were submitted as evidence. K Babu argued that the document produced by Swaraj was fake.

The High Court had ordered that Swaraj's plea against Babu's victory would stand in March last year. Babu approached the Supreme Court demanding rejection of the petition, but there was no favourable verdict. K Babu won by 992 votes in Thrippunithura where there was a tight three-cornered contest. Entry of women in Sabarimala was the main issue in this election. Regardless of which side the verdict is against, the case will surely reach the Supreme Court again.