The Kerala High Court has halted the Nava Kerala Survey, raising concerns about the CPI(M) led by State Secretary M.V. Govindan. The court criticized the party for seeming to have prior knowledge of the survey and questioned how they were informed before the government’s decision.
It was noted that a letter had been circulated to CPI(M) cadres before the government order was issued, indicating a possible breach. The court found the State Secretary’s response to the allegations evasive, strengthening the petitioners’ claims against the party.
The High Court invalidated the Nava Kerala Survey due to violations of the Rules of Business in allocating Rs 20 crore for a ‘special PR campaign.’ The court also cast doubts on the survey’s conduct and the allocation of funds, deeming it a procedural breach.
The State Cabinet had approved the survey on October 8, 2025, but concerns arose as the party secretary had instructed cadres to register on the survey portal before the decision was made public. This raised suspicions of clandestine involvement of party members in the survey process.
The court criticized CPI(M) State Secretary Govindan and found the affidavit submitted by him unsatisfactory, describing the matter as a departure from financial norms. The Nava Kerala Survey, announced by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to gather public feedback on government initiatives, has faced setbacks ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.
The petition challenging the survey was filed by KSU State President Aloysius Xavier and Congress Ernakulam District Panchayat member Mubas Onakkali. They argued that the survey, funded by the government, was essentially a data collection exercise by the CPI(M) for electoral gains, misusing public funds.
The court emphasized the necessity of prior approval from the Finance Department for such surveys at government expense, which was lacking in this case. Consequently, the survey, initially planned until February 22, was halted by the court for unlawful proceedings.
