KOCHI: The Kerala High Court, on Monday, criticised the removal of the Congress candidate Vaishna Suresh from the voters' list , calling the action "unfair" and "deeply unjust".
Vaishna had started her campaign to the Muttada Ward in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, when the authorities stepped in and removed her from the voters' list making her ineligible to contest the December 9 local body polls.
The Court asked why a young woman who had already announced her candidature was suddenly struck off the electoral rolls, and cautioned that political considerations must not influence electoral procedures.
"Is this how a 24-year-old woman who comes forward to contest should be treated?" the Court asked, noting that her documents carried the correct address and that there was no indication she was registered as a voter anywhere else.
It observed that a candidate's right to contest cannot be denied on mere technicalities, particularly in a Corporation election where procedural fairness is crucial.
The Bench directed the State Election Commission to immediately hear Vaishna and restore her name in the voters' list.
If the Commission failed to comply, the Court warned it would not hesitate to invoke its extraordinary powers.