Kerala High Court Seeks Poll Body's Reply On Pleas By Two BJP Candidates

Two BJP candidates have challenged the Returning Officers' decision rejecting their nominations for the April 6 Kerala assembly polls.

The Kerala High Court has sought the response of the Election Commission to pleas by two BJP candidates challenging the Returning Officers' decision rejecting their nominations for the April 6 assembly polls. At a special sitting, Justice N Nagaresh directed the EC to submit its counter-affidavit on Monday and posted the petitions for further hearing at 12 noon. During the hearing on Sunday, the Election Commission, citing Constitutional provisions, opposed the pleas, contending that since the election process has set in, the intervention of the court was not warranted. BJP's N Haridas and Nivedida Subramanian petitioned the court after their nominations were rejected during scrutiny on the ground that their papers did not have the signature of the party's state president.