As a shot in the arm for the CPM-led Left Democratic Front in Kerala, the Kerala High Court on Monday directed that elections to the three Rajya Sabha seats from Kerala falling vacant this month should be conducted before the term of the current government ends.
Among the three seats, two are now held by the Congress-led UDF and one by LDF. Considering the present strength in the Assembly in which the LDF has a majority, the LDF may win two while the UDF may get only one.
The HC order came on petitions filed by the Kerala Legislative Secretary and CPM leader S Sharma against a decision of the Election Commission of India to postpone the elections scheduled to be held on April 12. Polling to all the 140 seats in Kerala Assembly was done on April 6 and the results are on May 2.
The HC's single bench of justice P V Asha directed that the elections to the three seats should be held before May 2. Only in case of any law and order situation should the elections be postponed, the HC observed. There were no sufficient reasons to postpone the election.
The Election Commission maintained that the decision to postpone the election was taken considering a report of the Ministry of Law and Justice that the popular will may not be reflected in the Upper House if the new members are elected just ahead of the results of the Assembly elections.
Terms of Congress leadar Vayalar Ravi, Abdul Wahab of the Indian Union Muslim League and K K Ragesh of CPM are ending on April 21.
(Published 12 April 2021, 16:50 IST)
JOIN US