Kochi: A division bench of the Kerala High Court struck down an order of the single bench which directed that the chairperson post in local bodies be taken off reservation alternatively.

The order by Justices Shaji P. Chali and Manikumar came on petitions by the state government and the State Election Commission. The petitioners contended that changes to the process should not be implemented at this advanced stage of elections. (The third and final phase polling to local bodies got over in the state on December 14. The counting is on December 16).

The single bench issued the order after the election notification was issued on November 12. The petitioners contended that the court should not intervene in the process after the notification.

The government argued that certain observations of the single bench were ‘defective.’ To state a case, the government said, the court’s contention that alternating reservation for the chairman posts would give opportunities to those in the general category too.