Tue May 06 05:39:17 UTC 2025: **Supreme Court Upholds Kerala MLA’s Election Win**
NEW DELHI, May 6, 2025 – The Supreme Court of India has upheld the 2021 election victory of A. Raja, a CPI(M) leader and MLA from Devikulam, Kerala. The court overturned a Kerala High Court ruling that had invalidated the result, citing Mr. Raja’s alleged conversion to Christianity and questioning his eligibility for the Scheduled Caste (SC) reserved seat.
The High Court had deemed Mr. Raja ineligible for SC reservation, arguing that his conversion disqualified him. However, the Supreme Court rejected this, stating that the conversion was neither pleaded nor proved by the opposing candidate, D. Kumar, who had lost the election to Mr. Raja. Mr. Kumar had challenged Mr. Raja’s caste certificate and his identity as a member of the ‘Hindu-Parayan’ community.
Mr. Raja maintained that he was born into the ‘Hindu-Parayan’ community and had always practiced Hinduism. The Supreme Court found in his favor, stating that the High Court hadn’t adequately considered the evidence Mr. Raja presented, including his birth certificate and caste certificate. The court ordered that Mr. Raja receive all benefits associated with the judgment. The apex court’s decision concludes a legal battle that began in 2023 when the High Court’s initial decision was stayed.
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