EC wthholds Lakshadweep Lok Sabha bypoll after HC suspends conviction, sentence of sitting MP
The Hindu
The Kerala HC had suspended conviction, sentence of sitting MP Mohammed Faizal in an attempt to murder case
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday withheld the bye-election to Lakshadweep Lok Sabha seat and deferred the issuance of notification for holding the bypoll after the Kerala High Court suspended conviction and sentence of sitting MP Mohammed Faizal.
The Kerala High Court, on January 25, had suspended the conviction and sentence Mr, Faizal in a case of attempt to murder of Mohammed Salih, son-in-law of former Union Minister P.M. Sayeed, during the 2009 Lok sabha polls. The bypoll was to be held on February 27.
On January 18, the poll body had announced bypoll to the Union Territory after the Nationalist Communist Party leader was suspended from the Lok Sabha after he was convicted by the sessions court in the attempt to murder case.
The Kavarathi sessions court, on January 11, had sentenced Mr. Faizal and three others to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment on attempt-to-murder charge in what the prosecution claimed to be a politically motivated assault during the Lok Sabha election in 2009.
After the Kerala High Court’s order, the Election Commission said in a statement, “after considering the matter and having due regard to the order passed by Hon’ble High Court of Kerala at Ernakulam...the Election Commission of India has decided to withhold the bye election and to defer the issuance of notification for holding the bye election.”
No room for complacency till counting is completed, Chandrababu Naidu tells TDP-BJP-JSP contestants. The TDP-BJP-JSP alliance will register a comfortable victory in the general elections over the YSRCP, he says. Alleging that the YSRCP has conspired to create disturbances on the counting day, the TDP national president advises the chief counting agents and their teams to see to it that the officials adhere to norms related to counting.