EC withholds bypoll in Lakshadweep as HC suspends MP's conviction

The EC had on January 18 announced the bye-election to the Lakshadweep seat to fill the vacancy created by the disqualification of Faizal

The Election Commission on Monday withheld the Lakshadweep Lok Sabha bypoll in view of the Kerala High Court’s recent order suspending the conviction of Mohammed Faizal, the incumbent MP, in a case of attempt to murder.

The conviction of Faizal, a member of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), by a court in the Union Territory earlier this month led to his disqualification as a member of the Lok Sabha.

As the Kerala High Court suspended his conviction last week, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar met Om Birla, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, on Monday and urged him to revoke the disqualification of the party’s MP.

The EC had on January 18 announced the by-election to the Lakshadweep seat to fill the vacancy created by the disqualification of Faizal. The polling was scheduled for February 27, along with six other Assembly constituencies in five other states.

Faizal moved the Supreme Court challenging the EC’s announcement of the bypoll. However, the poll panel told SC on Friday that it would take into account the Kerala High Court’s order suspending his conviction and act in accordance with the law.

On Monday, the EC said it decided to withhold the by-election and defer the issuance of notification to hold the bypoll in Lakshadweep after “considering the matter and having due regard to the order” of the Kerala High Court.

However, the administration of the UT of Lakshadweep also moved Supreme Court, challenging the high court's order of suspending the MP’s conviction.