JUDGMENT

Altamas Kabir, J.-The appellant herein, who contested the parliamentary elections held on 16th April, 2009 for the No.05 – Kozhikode Constituency of the Lok Sabha, challenged the election of the Respondent, Shri M.K. Raghavan, who was the returned candidate from the said constituency, by way of an Election Petition filed under Section 81 read with Sections 100, 101 and 123 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, hereinafter referred to as the “1951 Act”. The Appellant contested the election as the official candidate of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), hereinafter referred to as the “CPI(M)” led by the Left Democratic Front, hereinafter referred to as the “LDF”, whereas the Respondent No.1 was a candidate of the Indian National Congress and he contested the election as the candidate of the United Democratic Front, hereinafter referred to as the “UDF”.

2. The ground on which the election of the Respondent No.1 was challenged was that he had published false statements with regard to the Appellant and thereby committed corrupt practice within the meaning of Section 123(4) of the 1951 Act, which provides that the publication by a candidate or his agent or by any