The Kerala High Court disposed of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a direction to the respondents by printing the names of contesting candidates in Tamil in ballot papers for all future elections to be conducted in different co-operative societies in Chittoor in Palakkad district.
The Petitioner further seeks relief:-
- direction to the respondents to take effective measures to simplify the procedure for printing ballot papers and to by providing different ballot papers for different category, to print the names of the candidates in Tamil and also to print the names of a candidates of each panel in different colours as was the practice;
- declaring Rule 35A(n)(viii) of the Co-operative Society Rules unconstitutional;
- to quash that part of the notification inserting the word uniform in Rule 35A(n)(viii) of the Co- operative Society Rules.
The Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice A. Muhamed Mustaque and Justice S. Manu noted that the matter was considered by the Court earlier in the light of the Rules and found that such matter cannot be decided by the Court.
“This is a matter purely to be addressed by the Co-operative Department.”
Accordingly, the Court directed the 1st respondent (State of Kerala) to consider representation, in accordance with law, within a period of three months. Petitioner is also free to forward a copy of the petition along with the judgment to the 1st respondent for compliance.