Supreme Court Reinstates CPI(M)'s A. Raja as Devikulam MLA
The Supreme Court reinstated A. Raja as the CPI(M) MLA for Devikulam, setting aside the Kerala High Court's decision to void his election over a reserved seat issue. The bench ruled in Raja's favor, granting him all consequential benefits previously lost due to the High Court's decision.
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In a significant ruling, the Supreme Court on Tuesday overturned the Kerala High Court's decision that had annulled the 2021 election of A. Raja, a Communist Party of India (Marxist) MLA from Devikulam. A bench consisting of Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Prashant Kumar Mishra upheld Raja's election, effectively dismissing the earlier election petition against him.
The Kerala High Court had previously declared Raja's election void in March 2023, on the grounds that the Devikulam constituency was reserved for a Scheduled Caste (SC) candidate. The court reasoned that since Raja was professing Christianity at the time of the election, his candidacy did not meet the SC reservation criteria as stipulated by the Representation of the People Act, 1951. This ruling came following a challenge by D. Kumar, a Congress candidate from the same constituency.
Raja's appeal to the Supreme Court resulted in a favorable outcome, with the apex court reinstating him as an MLA and restoring the associated legislative privileges and benefits he had lost. This ruling marks a definitive victory for Raja and the CPI(M), securing his position amid the contentious election dispute. (ANI)
(With inputs from agencies.)
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