Kerala HC asks EC to hold polls for 3 Rajya Sabha seats before May 2

The Kerala High Court on Monday directed the Election Commission to hold elections to three Rajya Sabha seats from the state during the term of the present assembly.

The single bench of Justice PV Asha asked the Election Commission to hold elections on the three seats -- which are falling vacant on April 21 -- before May 2, the date on which results will be declared for the recently conducted assembly elections.

The court passed the order while hearing the two petitions filed by the Secretary of the Kerala Legislative Assembly and Communist Party of India (Marxist) MLA and former minister S Sharma challenging the EC's decision to keep in abeyance elections to the Rajya Sabha seats falling vacant from the state.

The bench in its order said, "The sitting legislative assembly had the right to elect members to the seats falling vacant in the Rajya Sabha from the state."

( With inputs from ANI )