Kerala HC dismisses UDF Kozhikode mayoral candidate’s plea to include his name in voters’ list

The Kerala High Court on Wednesday dismissed the plea filed by film director, V M Vinu, fielded as mayoral candidate by Congress in the Kozhikode Corporation elections, seeking a directive to the district collector to consider his appeal against the removal of his name from the voters’ list of Kozhikode Corporation.

A single bench of Justice PV Kunhikrishnan dismissed the petition filed by Vinu, observing that simply because he is a celebrity, there can be no preference for him.

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“Simply because the petitioner is a celebrity there is no preference to the petitioner. He is an ordinary citizen of this country. It’s an admitted fact that the preparation of electoral rolls started from 19/07/2025. A preliminary voters list was published. There was an opportunity for the petitioner to object, if his name was not there. Thereafter, the final voters list was published on 2/09/2025 and after revision, the final voters list was published on 25/10/2025. At that time also, the petitioner’s name was not there. The petitioner has not objected at that stage also. Again, the commission gave time to the citizens whose name is not mentioned in the final voters list and they were allowed to submit objections on November 4 and 5. The petitioner has not availed that opportunity also. Now the petitioner submits that he is a celebrity and he wants to participate in the election. I cannot agree with the same. The counsel for the petitioner submitted that the petitioner’s name is deleted because there is political rivalry. I am surprised to see such an argument from the petitioner. This is the fault of the petitioner himself. He need not blame others. He has to blame himself. There is nothing in it. Writ Petition dismissed,” the court said

VM Vinu, in his petition, said he was approached by the UDF to contest in the election to the Kallayi Division No.37 of the Kozhikode Corporation and he reluctantly yielded to the request to contest. However, at the time of filing nomination papers, he noticed that his name was not included in the voters list for election to the Kozhikode Corporation. Aggrieved, he approached the electoral registration officer but to no avail. Thereafter, he filed an appeal before the District Collector but the same has not been considered. Following this, Vinu had moved the court claiming that his name was removed from the voters list of the Kozhikode corporation due to political rivalry.

When the petition came up for hearing, Vinu’s counsel argued that his name was there in the voters list in the previous year and his name was removed without hearing him. To this the court asked, “Do you have a case in which anybody deleted you from the electoral roll? Did the celebrity not read the newspaper? Even after the published draft list, the citizens will get a chance to add their names to the list. Why did you not file an objection?”

“There are several opportunities… This Court or Election Commission cannot allow you to. Because there was timing for everything…Only because you are a celebrity, I cannot pass any orders..” Justice Kunhikrishnan said