COCHIN, 9 August 2005 — The Kerala High Court yesterday set aside the election of Joseph M. Puthussery, an MLA of the Kerala Congress (Mani) group, a constituent of the ruling United Democratic Front (UDF), on the grounds of indulging in corrupt practices. Puthussery was elected by a margin of 11,225 votes from the Kallooppara constitutency.
Justice R. Basant, after allowing the petition filed by the defeated Kerala Congress (Joseph) candidate T.S. John, ruled that Puthussery had indulged in corrupt practices in the 2001 assembly elections by circulating defamatory notices against his opponent.
The high court verdict is said another jolt for the UDF which lost nine MLAs after they quit the Congress party and joined the National Congress Indira (NCI), a break-away faction led by senior leader K. Karunakaran. UDF candidates were also defeated in recent elections in Kutuparamba and Azheekode constituencies.
In another case, the high court criticized Finance Minister Vakkom Purushothaman, saying he had violated the rights of the members in connection with the fake fax case during his tenure as the speaker of the Kerala Assembly.
In July 2003, 24 MLAs decided to vote against the government during the vote on account in the assembly which would have led to the fall of the government. To face this problem, the Congress high command sent a fax message ousting five dissident MLAs.
Social activist Joemon Puthenpurackal lodged a complaint with the Trivandrum judicial magistrate’s court. The court issued a notice asking Vakkom to present the fax in the court. The court also sent an official with the notice the second time, but Vakkom declined to receive it. Later he was sworn in as the finance minister.
When the high court issued summons, Vakkom said he did not see the need to present himself before the court as he was no longer the speaker. The court was not satisfied with the reply issued a warrant for his arrest. While considering the plea of Vakkom to cancel the warrant, the court strongly criticized him.
