KOCHI: BJP leader K Surendran on Wednesday approached the Kerala High Court seeking permission to withdraw the election petition filed by him seeking to declare the Manjeswaram Assembly election in 2016 null and void.
The petition stated the witnesses cited in the election plea, whose votes were challenged, were prima facie necessary to prove the case. Though he had taken steps for issuing summons to the witnesses through a special messenger, the summons could not be served owing to the reason that either the door of witnesses’ houses were locked or they were out of station. It was necessary for the petitioner to prove the case of impersonation by examining the witnesses cited in the case. However, the witnesses were purposefully evading from accepting the summons owing to political pressure from the Muslim League. Surendran lost the poll by a slender margin of 89 votes to IUML’s P B Abdul Razak.
According to Surendran, he had made earnest efforts to prove the irregularities committed in the election, but proving the challenge against the election at this stage by examining the witnesses was difficult. Hence, he has decided to withdraw further proceedings.