(1.) Instant public interest writ petition is filed challenging the decision of the Kerala State Election Commission, Thiruvananthapuram, respondent No.2, to conduct elections to Local Bodies in Kerala, for the year 2020, in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic, and to the Legislative Assembly scheduled to be conducted within four months thereafter. The reliefs sought for by the petitioner are as under:
(2.) Facts leading to the filing of instant writ petition are that, petitioner claims to be a six-time member of Kerala Legislative Assembly. He was elected from Poonjar assembly constituency. He was also the founder of a political party named "Kerala Janapaksham", which is not a part of any electoral coalition. He is aggrieved by the decision of the State Government and the State Election Commission to conduct the local body elections facilitating the spread of COVID-19 pandemic at a time when the test positivity rate in Kerala, is the highest in the country.
(3.) Petitioner has stated that the State of Kerala is fighting its grimmest battle against the COVID-19 pandemic with highest fresh cases of COVID in the country, highest positivity rates and ever-increasing fatality rates. Based on a combined reading of the reports of experts on COVID spread during the months of November and December, and the ever-rising new cases, death and positivity rates, petitioner has contended that it is clear that a local body election, if conducted in the present scenario, would push the State, which is at an edge of cliff, into oblivion.