The State Election Commission (SEC) has annulled the election of vice president of Kottangal grama panchayat in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala, citing procedural irregularities. The decision followed a complaint by the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), which alleged that the elections held on December 27 were conducted in violation of legal norms.
The 14-member panchayat consists of five members of the United Democratic Front (UDF), five members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), three members of the SDPI and one member of the Left Democratic Front (LDF). During the presidential election held on the morning of 27 December, the SDPI extended support to the UDF candidate who was elected. However, the UDF president resigned soon after, rejecting SDPI’s support.
Candidates from UDF, BJP and SDPI clashed in the election for the post of Vice President. Both the UDF and BJP candidates got five votes each while the SDPI candidate got three votes. Only one LDF member abstained from voting. When the top two candidates were tied, the Returning Officer resorted to drawing lots, after which the BJP candidate was declared elected.
Kerala Panchayat Raj Act
In its complaint, SDPI alleged that the procedures prescribed by the Kerala Panchayat Raj Act were not followed. In the event of a tie, the rules mandate the elimination of the candidate with the lowest number of votes, followed by a second round of voting between the remaining two candidates. Instead, the returns officer proceeded directly to the draw, the complaint pointed out.
He further noted that even if the drawing of lots were permissible, the candidate in whose favor the lot was cast must be declared elected. In this case, the lot was said to have fallen in favor of the UDF candidate, yet he was disqualified and the BJP candidate was declared the Vice President. Finding merit in the complaint, the SEC subsequently voided the election.
New elections for the post of president and vice president will be held on January 21.
Published – 18 Jan 2026 17:21 IST