THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State Election Commission is currently considering 78 cases relating to violation of the anti-defection law by elected members of various local bodies. Eight local body members, who were elected in the civic body election in 2020, were disqualified on the same grounds, and new members were elected in their place through by-election.
Besides disqualification, a member will also be debarred from contesting local body polls for a period of six years. The anti-defection law applies if an elected member voluntarily gives up his or her party membership, violates the party whip or joins a political party after contesting as an independent.
In such a scenario, a member of the same local body or a person assigned by a political party can approach the State Election Commission with a complaint. The state poll panel can also be approached if a ward member does not convene gram sabha in grama panchayat, ward sabha in municipality and ward committee in corporation on specific intervals. The member or secretary of the same local body, or a person assigned by a political party should lodge the complaint.
As many as 9,014 candidates who contested the previous local body poll were disqualified after they failed to submit their poll expenditure related records. Of these, only two or three were elected members.
State Election Commissioner A Shajahan appealed to the candidates and elected members to show due diligence in preparation of expenditure statements. The poll panel organised a workshop marking the 30th year of its formation on December 3.