Congress MLA K. Babu failed to get any immediate relief from the Supreme Court on September 12 in the Tripunithura Assembly elections case.
A Bench headed by Justice Aniruddha Bose, while admitting his appeal, refused to stay a Kerala High Court decision that the petition filed by CPI(M) leader M. Swaraj against the former Fisheries Minister was maintainable.
Mr. Swaraj had approached the High Court with a plea to invalidate Mr. Babu’s election from Tripunithura.
Mr. Swaraj, represented by advocate P.S. Sudheer on caveat, had accused Mr. Babu, represented by advocate Romy Chacko, of using religious symbols during his election campaigns to sway the polls in his favour.
In March, the High Court had observed that the allegation about the use of religious symbols had prima facie made out a sufficient cause of action for further proceedings with the election petition.
It had, however, found unsustainable the allegation that Mr. Babu resorted to “corrupt practice”.
