Kerala Govt Opposes Antony Raju's Plea to Suspend Conviction in HC

• Kerala government opposes former minister Antony Raju's plea in High Court to suspend his conviction in an evidence-tampering case.
• Govt argues granting relief would "undermine the integrity of the electoral process" and he seeks it only to contest upcoming assembly polls.
• Raju, a Janadhipathya Kerala Congress leader, was sentenced to three years for tampering evidence as a lawyer in a 1990 drug case.
• The state cited Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, stating contesting elections is a political choice, not an exceptional circumstance.
• Raju contends his disqualification is instantaneous and the conviction is flawed, excessive, and aimed at disqualifying him.