'Don't play politics, take steps to include Vaishna in voters list,’ directs HC

KOCHI: The Kerala High Court criticized the act of omitting UDF candidate Vaishna from the voters list in Thiruvananthapuram Muttada ward. The high court has clarified that the omission of her name from the list is unfair. A person came forward to contest and her candidature was declared. The high court clarified that the omission should not be for political reasons.

The high court also directed the state election commission to take steps to include Vaishna in the voters list. If not, extraordinary powers will be exercised. Justice P V Kunhikrishnan has directed that the district collector should take a decision on the appeal filed by Vaishna on the matter by November 19. Such problems arise when a girl is contesting. The court has clarified that the right to contest in the election should not be denied on technical grounds.

Vaishna is a candidate presented by the Congress as a glamour girl in the capital corporation. The commission had omitted Vaishna's name on the complaint filed by the CPM that the address given for inclusion in the voter list was not correct. When the final voter list was published after the hearing, her name was omitted.

The party had launched the campaign by making 24-year-old Vaishna the youngest contestant. Muttada is a sitting seat of the LDF. Vaishna had completed her first phase of campaigning here. Vaishna, a KSU activist, decided to contest after resigning her job at Technopark.

The rule is that one can contest only if their name is in the voter list of any ward in the corporation. Vaishna's voter application states that the TC number of the building is 18/564. The complaint is that another family lives at this number and Vaishna has no connection with them. Vaishna, who is in a rented house in Ambalamukku, said that her father's family house is in Muttada. This address is in all the documents. This is also the number on the electoral identity card.