The Twenty20 party has challenged before the Kerala High Court the Kizhakkambalam panchayat’s reported proposal to have a polling booth at a mosque in Kummanodu ward for the upcoming local body elections.

In its plea, the party says that readying of polling stations inside religious places is in violation of a circular issued by the State Election Commission. Its intent was to avoid giving the impression that the election process was being influenced by a particular religion. The plea further said that the readying of polling booths at religious places would indirectly influence voters, in favour of a candidate or political party associated with that particular religion. There was also a chance for communal disputes during sensitives times like elections and it would be preferable to choose neutral places like schools or government buildings for the same. This was critical to preserve neutrality, voter confidence and communal harmony, it said.

The party said that there were violent incidents during the 2020 local body polls and that its members were brutally attacked on the premises of the polling station set up in the mosque.

Subsequently, a Bench of Justice C.S. Dias told the State Election Commission to file its statement in the case and posted the case for hearing on September 15.