(1.) The grievance of the petitioner (who is one and the same in both the Writ Petitions) is against the rejection of the IAs filed before the Court below / Election Tribunal to summon the concerned witnesses showing the correct address as involved in WP (C) 4824 of 2007 and against rejection of the prayer to open up the election records and to examine the marked counterfoils, marked electoral rolls and the ballot papers in substantiation of different grounds raised by the petitioner, who is the defeated candidate, as involved in the other Writ Petition.
(2.) The petitioner was a candidate who contested the election in respect of Ward No. XI of Othukkungal Grama Panchayat. On completion of counting, the respondent was declared as won by a margin of three votes. Though the request of the petitioner for recounting was allowed, it did not tilt the balance in any manner. Hence declaration of the result was confirmed which in turn was questioned by the petitioner by filing Ext. P1 Election Petition (OP (Election) No. 45 of 2005) before the Election Tribunal, Munsiff's Court, Tirur under the relevant provisions of law.
(3.) The main grounds of challenge specifically raised by the petitioner before the Election Tribunal and are forming the subject matter of consideration before this Court are as follows: