Setback for BJP in Kerala as High Court rejects plea challenging nomination papaers

KOCHI: (Marh 22, HS): The BJP will not have candidates in Thalassery and Guruvayur constituencies in the April 6 election to the Kerala Assembly. The Kerala High Court on Monday refused to intervene in the Election Commission of India’s decision to reject the nomination papers submitted by the BJP candidates in these constituencies.

It is being seen as a set back to the BJP which had claimed that the party would emerge as a third alternative in this election. The nomination papers of N Haridas from Thalassery and Nivedita Subramanian from the temple township of Guruvayur were rejected by the Returning Officers on Saturday as the papers were not in order.

Though the AIADMK candidate Dhanalakshmi’s papers were rejected by the returning officer at Devikulam, the NDA leadership managed to rope in an independent candidate to fight the election on behalf of the alliance.

Niveditha Subramanian, president of Kerala Mahila Morchcha, is a lawyer by profession and this is her second attempt to enter the legislative assembly. Haridas is the president of the Kannur district unit of the BJP and party leadership was shocked over the development.

The Kerala High Court in its ruling stated that the Supreme Court, in an earlier verdict, had pronounced that the court does not have any jurisdiction to interfere in election related issues once the Election Commission of India sets the polling process in motion.

Both the BJP candidates failed to give a convincing reply to queries on how the faux pas was committed despite them being experienced and educated persons. Niveditha Subramanian blamed her associates in the party for being careless in handling the filling up of the nomination.

K surendran, Kerala president of the BJP, said that the party would have candidates in these constituencies despite the rejection of nomination papers filed by the official candidates.