The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice on a petition filed by Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suresh Gopi challenging the Kerala High Court's refusal to dismiss an election petition questioning his 2024 Lok Sabha election from the Thrissur constituency.

A Bench of Justice PS Narasimha and Justice Alok Aradhe sought the response of the election petitioner, Binoy AS, an All India Youth Federation leader and a voter from Thrissur, who has challenged Gopi's election.

The appeal assails an April 1 judgment of the Kerala High Court delivered by Justice Kauser Edappagath, which held that the election petition was maintainable and should proceed to trial.

Gopi, the BJP's lone Member of Parliament from Kerala, had urged the High Court to reject the election petition at the threshold by raising preliminary objections to its maintainability. However, the High Court declined to do so, holding that the allegations, except one, warranted a trial.

Binoy's election petition alleges that Gopi, his election agent and his associates committed corrupt practices under Section 123 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

Among the allegations are that Gopi misused religious symbols to appeal to voters, promised gifts including mobile phones to induce electoral support, and that videos posted on social media showed him offering monetary incentives to prospective voters.

The petition also alleges that a campaigner associated with Gopi's election campaign appealed to voters to think of a Hindu deity while casting their votes and invoked religious symbols associated with Lord Ram during the campaign.

While refusing to dismiss the election petition, the High Court struck off one allegation relating to the distribution of shade umbrellas to vendors at a vegetable market, holding that it did not constitute 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 observed.

Gopi has now approached the Supreme Court challenging the High Court's refusal to reject the remaining allegations and dismiss the election petition at the threshold.

Case : Suresh Gopi v. Binoy AS | SLP(c) 18200/2026