V M Vinu Barred from Kozhikode Local Body Election After High Court Rejects His Appeal

Kochi: UDF’s mayoral hopeful for Kozhikode Corporation, V M Vinu, will not be able to contest in the upcoming local body elections after the Kerala High Court dismissed his appeal regarding the absence of his name from the voter’s list.

Vinu, who had approached the court alleging a politically motivated attempt to remove his name from the rolls, faced strong criticism from the bench. Justice P V Kunjikrishnan questioned how a candidate could proceed with election preparations without verifying his inclusion in the voter list, noting that being a celebrity offered no special consideration. The court also observed that claims about his vote in the previous local body election were irrelevant if his name was absent this time.

The Congress initially insisted that Vinu had voted in the 2020 polls, with DCC president K Praveenkumar backing the claim. However, records show that neither Vinu nor his family appeared in the 2020 voter list for Malaparamba ward’s fourth booth. Despite Vinu’s claim that the earlier rolls were unavailable online, the 2020 list remains accessible on the State Election Commission website. The court pointed out that Vinu should have filed a fresh application to include his name.

Officials emphasise that voter lists for the Lok Sabha, Legislative Assembly and local body elections are separate. Congress leaders, despite being aware of this, failed to verify Vinu’s status. The Election Commission had also provided opportunities for additions on 3 and 4 November, which the party did not utilise.

CPIM district secretary M Mehaboob alleged that if Vinu had indeed voted in 2020 without being listed as a voter, it would amount to a fraudulent act damaging to democratic processes, warranting strict legal action.