In a massive political blow to the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government in Kerala, the Kerala High Court on Tuesday cancelled the state government's order permitting the controversial 'Nava Kerala Citizen Response Programme'. The verdict effectively halts a large-scale door-to-door survey ahead of the Assembly elections scheduled later this year. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Saumitra Sen and Justice VM Syam Kumar delivered the ruling while allowing petitions filed by Kerala Students' Union (KSU) state president Aloysius Xavier and Perumbavoor resident MH Mubas.
With this judgement, the court has stopped a project that the government had described as a "welfare study", but which the opposition had criticised as a political campaign funded by taxpayer money.
Court flags financial irregularities in Rs 20 crore project
The bench observed that the project, estimated to cost around Rs 20 crore, did not receive the mandatory formal financial approval required for implementation. This observation formed a key basis for quashing the controversial government order.
Survey timing triggers political storm in election year
The timing of the survey had already escalated political tensions in the state. Launched in January 2026, the programme aimed to reach 80 lakh households across Kerala to collect "feedback on development works". However, the opposition and the KSU argued that this was an attempt to use government machinery to assess voter sentiment and prepare the LDF's election manifesto.
About Nava Kerala Citizen Response Programme
The 'Nava Kerala Citizen Response Programme' aimed to deploy government representatives and officials across households in the state to collect feedback on welfare delivery, grievances and development suggestions. While the LDF government projected it as an exercise in participatory governance, critics maintained that it largely served as a taxpayer-funded political outreach campaign.
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