The Times of India
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a major embarrassment to the Congress, the Kerala High Court on Monday annulled the election of five-time party Lok Sabha MP and AICC secretary Kodikkunnil Suresh (48) from the Mavelikkara reserved constituency on the ground that he did not belong to the Scheduled Caste and was wrongly claiming such status benefit.
The order came on a petition filed by his rival from Mavelikkara R S Anil of the CPI and two others. Allowing the petition, a bench of Justice Sasidharan Nambiar noted discrepancies in Suresh's claims, whose name, as per school records, was J Maniyan, his religion Christian and caste Cheramar. But his election affidavit showed him as Hindu. Suresh, whose parents converted to Christianity, submitted that he had returned to Hinduism in 1978. However, he could not produce evidence to support the claim.
The order highlighted the conflicting stands in two certificates produced by Suresh to establish his caste. According to one, he was Hindu Cheramar; and according to another, a Hindu Pulaya.
Anil's advocate A Jayasankar, said, "In all cases of reconversion, the concerned person must produce certificates to show that he was accepted by community. But Suresh could not produce this.'' The HC also noted that the returning officer had wrongly accepted Suresh's nomination papers. For more detail please Click Here
