Kerala High Court Allows PIL Against State's 'Nava Kerala Citizens Response Programme', Quashes Govt Order

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday allowed the public interest litigation challenging the State government's 'Nava Kerala Citizens Response Programme' which commenced on January 01.

The Division Bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar V.M. passed the verdict.

The plea had alleged that the survey is a politically motivated exercise intended to benefit the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections and amounts to a misuse of public funds and government machinery.

The Court heard detailed arguments adduced by the counsel for the petitioner and the Advocate General last week.

The petitioner had argued that the funds earmarked for public projects were being utilised for political purposes, flouting financial rules. Certain media reports were relied upon.

Reliance was also placed on a letter dated 23 September 2025, which the petitioner claimed was issued by the Secretary of Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)], Kerala State Committee. It was argued that the said letter had influenced the subsequent Cabinet decision to form a voluntary organisation accommodating supporters of the LDF.

At the time, the High Court had asked that the Secretary of CPI(M), who allegedly issued the letter, be made a party in the proceedings. Subsequently, it heard the case in detail and had then reserved its verdict.

Case Title: Mubas M.H. v. State of Kerala and Ors. and Aloshious Xavier v. State of Kerala and Ors.

Case No: WP(PIL) 4/ 2026 and WP(PIL) 8/2026

Citation: 2026 LiveLaw (Ker) 107

Counsel for petitioner: Anoop V. Nair, Yeshwant Shenoy, Sharannya P., Athul P., C.A. Beema Beevi, Ferra A. Thankam, Tissy Rose K. Cheriyan, Ashika Joshy, Amrutha Selvaraj, Jain Jaison Mathew

Click to Read/Download Judgment