The Kerala high court on Friday disqualified Muslim League MLA K M Shaji for campaigning on communal lines in 2016 assembly elections. His rival M V Nikesh Kumar (CMP), who lost the poll with a slender margin in Azhikkode constituency in north Kerala’s Kannur district, has moved the court citing the communal card being played by the legislator.
After disqualifying the legislator, the single bench of the High Court also instructed the election commission to conduct fresh election. The legislator has also asked to pay the court fee of ₹50,000 to the defeated candidate. Represented the constituency twice, Shaji said he will move the Supreme Court soon.
“During the poll some notices containing objectionable content were pasted in the constituency. We have disowned these notices then itself. It was a ploy to put our candidate in bad light. Shaji’s track record everyone knows it. We will prove his innocence in the Supreme Court,” said Muslim League general secretary P K Kunhalikutty MP.