Suresh Gopi moves Supreme Court against Kerala HC decision to hear election petition on his 2024 poll win

Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suresh Gopi has moved an appeal before the Supreme Court against the Kerala High Court's refusal to dismiss an election petition challenging his 2024 Lok Sabha poll victory [Suresh Gopi Vs Binoy AS]..A Bench of Justices PS Narasimha and Alok Aradhe today issued notice on appeal and sought the response of a Thrissur voter who had challenged Gopi's election. .was hearing Gopi’s appeal against the April 1 decision of Justice Kauser Edappagath..Gopi has challenged an April 1 ruling passed by Justice Kauser Edappagath of the Kerala High Court. The High Court had held that the election petition filed by Binoy AS, an All India Youth Federation leader and a voter from Thrissur, was maintainable and should proceed to trial.Gopi is the lone BJP Member of Parliament from Kerala.Binoy’s election petition accused Gopi, his election agent and his associates of committing corrupt practices under Section 123 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.Among other allegations, Binoy claimed that Gopi had misused religious symbols to appeal to voters and promised gifts, including mobile phones, to induce electoral support.The petition also relied on videos posted on social media which allegedly showed Gopi offering monetary incentives to potential voters.Binoy further alleged that a campaigner associated with Gopi’s election campaign had urged voters to think of a Hindu deity while voting for him. The campaigner was also accused of invoking religious symbols associated with Lord Ram.Gopi had raised preliminary objections to the maintainability of the election petition and sought its dismissal at the threshold..The High Court, however, rejected the objections.However, it struck off Binoy's allegation that a distribution of shade umbrellas to vendors at a vegetable market constituted an electoral malpractice. “The corrupt practices alleged with regard to the distribution of shade umbrellas to the vendors at the vegetable market mentioned in para 16 of the election petition is struck off. The respondent shall face trial for the other corrupt practices alleged in the petition,” the High Court had ordered..Gopi has now challenged the High Court’s refusal to dismiss the remaining allegations, and the election petition itself at the threshold.