The Kerala High Court on Monday set aside the election of CPM MLA A Raja from Devikulam Assembly seat in Idukki district in 2021.
The court found Raja guilty of using fake community certificate to contest in the seat reserved for Scheduled Caste community.
Congress leader D Kumar who lost the election to Raja by 7,848 votes had approached the court. He alleged that Raja who belonged to the Christian community submitted a fake certificate that he belonged to a Scheduled Caste community.
The HC verdict came at a time when the Assembly session is on and hence Raja may not be able to attend the ongoing session until he gets any stay. In the 140 member Kerala Assembly, the CPM-led Left Democratic Front has been in a comfortable position with 99 seats and hence the HC verdict did not pose any threat to government's majority.
Raja as well as CPM state secretary M V Govindan said that further legal measures would be initiated in the matter.
Opposition leader V D Satheesan of the Congress demanded the CPM to apologise to the SC community for ditching them. He also said that criminal proceedings should be initiated against the officials who helped in faking the certificate.
The petitioner Kumar also alleged that Raja got the fake certificate by influencing the officials as the CPM was in power.
Published 20 March 2023, 11:28 IST