Kochi: The Kerala High Court, on Monday, issued an order favouring the LDF government over the special rice distribution. The court has stayed the Election Commission’s order which halted the distribution of special rice to blue and white ration cardholders.
Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala had filed a complaint with the Election Commission alleging that the LDF government was trying to influence the voters through the special rice distribution ahead of the polls. Based on the complaint, the commission had issued an order directing the government to stop the rice distribution.
The court stayed the EC order accepting the government’s argument that order on the special rice distribution was issued before the declaration of the polls. The government was distributing rice to blue and white ration cardholders at Rs 15 per kilo.
Though the High Court issued the stay, it strictly directed the government not to use the rice distribution for the election campaign.
