‘Victory for democracy': Congress candidate Vaishnav Suresh on Kerala local body poll win after legal battle

Thiruvananthapuram Dec 13 Congress candidate Vaishnav Suresh on Saturday described her victory in the Kerala local polls as "a triumph of democracy and truth", days after her candidature, initially rejected by the authorities, was restored following the intervention of the Kerala High Court.

Suresh defeated sitting Thiruvananthapuram Corporation councillor Amshu Vamadevan, who shifted from his original seat to contest the Muttada seat but lost to the first-timer.

The Muttada seat, since its inception, was a citadel of the CPI-M.

Soon after the early results indicated her victory, Vaishnav said she was "very happy" and termed the outcome a clear message from the people.

"This is a victory for democracy. Truth will always triumph, and it has done so here. People knew what was happening," she said, adding that she had "fought a good fight".

Vaishnav’s candidature had attracted statewide attention after her nomination papers were rejected during scrutiny on technical grounds.

The decision triggered protests from the Congress, which alleged unfair treatment and claimed the rejection was politically motivated.

Vaishnav subsequently approached the High Court, which, after hearing her plea, ordered the authorities to accept her nomination, allowing her to re-enter the fray.

The legal battle, coupled with her young age, turned Vaishnav into a prominent face of the Congress campaign in the constituency.

Party leaders projected her case as an example of institutional injustice and rallied support around what they described as a fight to protect democratic rights.

Her campaign, which resumed after the court order, focused on governance issues as well as the larger theme of safeguarding democratic processes.

Political observers note that the verdict in her favour is significant not just for the Congress, but also in the broader context of the local body elections, where procedural disputes and legal challenges featured prominently in several places.

Vaishnav’s win is being seen as a morale booster for the Congress, particularly among youth and first-time candidates.

Congress leaders welcomed the result, stating that it reaffirmed public faith in both the judiciary and the electoral process.

They also credited voters for "seeing through attempts to deny a candidate her legitimate right to contest".

For Vaishnav, the victory marks the beginning of her political journey under intense public scrutiny.

Reiterating her commitment to the electorate, she said she would work to justify the trust placed in her and focus on addressing local issues.

“This mandate belongs to the people who stood by me,” she said, signalling that the fight, though won at the ballot box, was only the first step in public life.

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