Kochi: UDF candidate and Ernakulam district panchayat vice-president Elsie George has moved the Kerala High Court challenging the rejection of her nomination to contest the local body polls from Kadamakudy division of the district panchayat, escalating a controversy that has already triggered strong political allegations from the UDF.

The petition was filed on Monday evening, and the court is expected to consider it on Tuesday.
The rejection of her nomination during scrutiny on Saturday was a setback for the UDF, which now has no candidate in the division, as no dummy nomination had been filed.

Ernakulam DCC president Mohammed Shiyas confirmed that George approached the High Court after the party decided to contest the decision both legally and politically. He reiterated the UDF’s stand that the events leading to the rejection were “deeply suspicious” and amounted to denial of a candidate’s democratic right.

According to Shiyas, the issue began when officials rejected Elsie George’s nomination on the grounds that her proposer for the candidature belonged to the Vypin division, not Kadamakudy. “The moment Elsie and her supporters realised the error, they tried to file a fresh nomination. They reached the Collectorate at 2.50 pm, well before the 3 pm deadline,” he said.

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However, Shiyas alleged that police and officials blocked her from entering the Collector’s room. “They were allowed inside only after 3 pm, by which time the deadline had lapsed. This was not a procedural lapse; this was obstruction,” he claimed.

The UDF has alleged that certain officials in the Returning Officer’s office acted with political intent, violating election norms. Shiyas said the party would seek CCTV footage of the incident through the Right to Information Act. “The footage will show what really happened. Her nomination was rejected not on merit but due to deliberate actions taken with political malice,” he alleged.

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The UDF has said it will pursue the matter both in court and through political channels. Elsie George was not available for comment.

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