'No Preference To Celebrities': Kerala High Court Rejects Film Director's Plea To Include His Name In Voters List Ahead Of Elections

According to the director, he was approached by the UDF to contest in the election to the Kallayi Division No.37 of Kozhikode Corporation and he reluctantly yielded to the request to contest. However, at the time of filing of nomination papers, he noticed that his name was not included in the voters list for election to the Kozhikode Corporation.

Aggrieved, he approached the electoral registration officer but to no avail. Thereafter, he filed an appeal before the District Collector but the same has not been considered. It is at that juncture that he came before the High Court.

Vinu's counsel told Justice P.V. Kunhikrishnan today that the director's name was deleted from the voters list because of political rivalry and he pleaded for the Court's indulgence. However, the Court was reluctant to entertain the plea.

Advocate B.S. Swathi Kumar appearing for Vinu argued that his name was there in the voters list in the previous year and his name was removed without hearing him. It was also told that he has every chance of winning, if he contests in the election and that the ruling party intervened to make sure he does not contest.

But, the Court said that it was helpless since the petitioner did not avail the opportunities available to him at the appropriate stage. It remarked orally,

“Then you have to submit objection at the appropriate stage. There are several opportunities…This Court or Election Commission cannot allow you to. Because there was timing there for everything…Only because you are a celebrity, I cannot pass any orders.”

The Court then asked whether he has a case that his name was in the final voters list and thereafter, it was removed by someone. The Court indicated that in such cases, it could have tried as done in the case of the 24-year-old candidate from Thiruvananthapuram.

Noting that this was not so, the Court proceeded to dismiss the case. It observed:

“Simply because the petitioner is a celebrity there is no preference to the petitioner. He is an ordinary citizen of this country. It's an admitted fact that the preparation of electoral rolls started from 19/07/2025. A preliminary voters list was published. There was opportunity for the petitioner to object if his name was not there. Thereafter, final voters list was published on 2/09/2025 and after revision, the final voters list was published on 25/10/2025. At that time also, the petitioners name was not there. The petitioner has not objected at that stage also. Again, the commission gave time to the citizens whose name is not mentioned in the final voters list and they were allowed to submit objections on November 4 and 5. The petitioner has not availed that opportunity also. Now the petitioner submits that he is a celebrity and he wants to participate in election. I cannot agree with the same. The counsel for the petitioner submitted that the petitioner's name is deleted because there is political rivalry. I am surprised to see such an argument from the petitioner. This is the fault of the petitioner himself. He need not blame others. He has to blame himself. There is nothing in it. Writ Petition dismissed.”

Case No: WP(C) 43512/2025

Case Title: V.M. Vinu v. State Election Commission and Ors.

Citation: 2025 LiveLaw (Ker) 755