Kochi, Feb 17 (NationPress) The Kerala High Court, in its ruling on Tuesday that halted the Nava Kerala Survey, issued stern remarks regarding the CPI(M), under the leadership of State Secretary M.V. Govindan. It also heavily criticized the Kerala government.

The Division Bench highlighted that the party seemed to possess prior knowledge of the survey.

The court raised questions about how the party could have anticipated a government decision and noted that no credible explanation was provided.

Before the government order was announced, a letter was dispatched to CPI(M) members.

The response from the State Secretary to the allegations was deemed evasive by the court, reinforcing the claims made by the petitioners.

The High Court annulled the Nava Kerala Survey after identifying violations of the Rules of Business concerning the approval of Rs 20 crore under the guise of a 'special PR campaign.'

The court remarked that the fund allocation itself constituted a procedural breach.

It also expressed skepticism about the methods employed in conducting the survey.

The State Cabinet had resolved to initiate the survey on October 8, 2025.

However, just days prior to this decision, the party secretary had instructed party members to register on the portal established for the survey.

The petitioners presented this letter to the court.

The court noted that the letter could not be dismissed lightly and indicated that there were grounds to suspect an effort by the party to secretly involve its members in the survey.

CPI(M) State Secretary Govindan was also named as a respondent in the case.

Nevertheless, the Division Bench, led by the Chief Justice, found the affidavit submitted by the party secretary to be unsatisfactory.

The Bench characterized the situation as a deviation from financial norms.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had introduced the Nava Kerala Survey as a forum for public feedback on the government's development and welfare initiatives.

With Assembly elections on the horizon, the court's ruling is perceived as a significant setback for the government.

The petition was brought forth by KSU State President Aloysius Xavier and Congress Ernakulam District Panchayat member Mubas Onakkali.

Their primary argument was that, although funded by the government, the survey effectively served as a data-collection exercise for the CPI(M) ahead of the elections.

They contended that public funds were being misappropriated to gather information from citizens and establish connections with voters for the party's advantage.

The court noted that prior approval from the Finance Department was essential for conducting such a survey at government expense.

It concluded that no such approval had been secured.

The survey, which was set to run until February 22, was suspended after the court deemed the proceedings unlawful.