India
Two natives of the Koduvally Assembly, KP Muhammad and Muhammad Kunji, complained to the Kerala high court alleging that their MLA Karat Razak had circulated a video attacking the opposition candidate.
Kochi: Pinarayi Vijayan's government faced a backlash with the Kerala high court annulling 2016 Assembly election's victory of Karat Razak, MLA, Koduvally Assembly, Kozhikode district. The high court took the decision following the allegation that Karat Razak has made personal attacks against the opposition candidate.
Two natives of the Koduvally Assembly, KP Muhammad and Muhammad Kunji, moved the high court alleging that Karat Razak had circulated a video attacking the opposition candidate MA Razak. It is also alleged in the video that MA Razak took Rs 10,000 from the government fund without authorisation while he was the panchayat president.
However, Karat Razak’s advocate denied the allegation and said that he would approach the Supreme Court to fight against the high court verdict. However, petitioners submitted visual proofs that reveal Karat Razak was spreading such false information using his campaign vehicle.
The court annulled the victory of the concerned MLA following this. The court also pointed out that the incident should be viewed as 'corruption'.
Karat Razak is an independent MLA supporting the Left Democratic Front (LDF). Meanwhile, the high court has denied the demand to declare UDF candidate MA Razak of Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) as the winner. However, IUML accepted the verdict.
The court has also accepted Karat Razak’s plea seeking to stay the verdict for 30 days.
Similarly, on November 22, IUML MLA KM Shaji had moved the Supreme Court questioning his disqualification by the Kerala high court for violating election code of conduct by allegedly making communal overtures during his election campaign.
Shaji was accused of winning the Assembly polls in Kerala by a margin of 2,287 votes in 2016, by using 'corrupt practices'. MV Nikesh Kumar, the LDF candidate, had earlier filed a case against Shaji from Azhikode for using "religion to win the Kerala Assembly elections in 2016".
The Supreme Court later allowed the MLA to participate in the Assembly procedures.
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