New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a plea by Union minister of state Suresh Gopi challenging a Kerala High Court order refusing to dismiss a petition against his election to the Lok Sabha from Thrissur in 2024.
A bench of Justices P S Narasimha and Alok Aradhe issued notice to Thrissur native Binoy AS, a leader of the All India Youth Federation, who has challenged Gopi's election before the High Court.
Read more: Suresh Gopi will have to face trial in petition challenging his election: Kerala High Court
In his plea, Binoy has alleged that Gopi engaged in "corrupt practices", including misuse of religious symbols, during his poll campaign.
Gopi, the lone BJP MP from Kerala, has challenged the April 1 judgement of the High Court, which held that the election petition filed by Binoy was maintainable and asked the Union minister of state for tourism and petroleum to face trial.
The Thrissur MP challenged the election petition saying that it was not maintainable. However, the High Court dismissed Gopi's petition on the ground that the allegations raised in the election petition warranted a trial.
Read more: Fuel prices in India won't fall immediately despite global crude slump, MoS Suresh Gopi reveals why
In his petition, Binoy has alleged that Gopi, his election agent and his associates committed corrupt practices under Section 123 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
He alleged that Gopi misused religious symbols to appeal to voters, promised gifts, including mobile phones, to induce electoral support, and that videos posted on social media showed him offering monetary incentives to prospective voters.
The actor-politician scripted a historic win for the BJP by ending its over-seven-decades-long political drought in Kerala in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. He won the Thrissur seat with a margin of 74,686 votes.
