Kerala SEC restores Vaishna Suresh’s name in voter list, clearing way for her to contest Muttada ward

A day after the Kerala High Court directed the State Election Commission (SEC) to immediately hear Vaishna Suresh and restore her name to the voters’ list for the local body elections, the Commission issued an order cancelling the earlier action of removing her name.

The State Election Commission on Wednesday revoked the decision to delete her vote, which had been removed due to alleged irregularities in her house number.

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According to the SEC’s order issued on Wednesday, Vaishna Suresh’s name will be included in the voters’ list. With this decision, Vaishna can file her nomination as a Congress candidate in the Muttada ward in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation.

On Monday, the Kerala High Court criticised the removal of Congress candidate Vaishna Suresh from the voters’ list, calling the action “unfair” and “deeply unjust.”

“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.

The Court observed that a candidate’s right to contest cannot be denied on mere technicalities, particularly in a Corporation election where procedural fairness is crucial.

It directed the State Election Commission to immediately hear Vaishna and restore her name to the voters’ list. The Court warned that if the Commission failed to comply, it would not hesitate to invoke its extraordinary powers.

Vaishna had already begun her campaign in the Muttada ward of the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation when the authorities removed her name from the voters’ list, making her ineligible to contest the December 9 local body polls. Following this, she approached the High Court challenging the decision.