The Kerala High Court refused to entertain a PIL seeking strict enforcement of eco-friendly election campaign norms during Assembly polls. The Court said no specific violation was shown and noted that monitoring mechanisms are already in place.
The Kerala High Court on Wednesday refused to entertain a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that sought strict enforcement of guidelines requiring the use of eco-friendly materials during election campaigns in the State. The case was filed at a time when election campaigns are ongoing for the upcoming Kerala Legislative Assembly elections.
The petitioner had approached the Court seeking directions to ensure that political parties and candidates use only eco-friendly materials for campaign-related items such as banners, hoardings, boards and flags.
The matter was heard by a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar VM. However, the Court observed that the petitioner had not placed on record any specific instance showing violation of the guidelines related to eco-friendly campaign materials.
The Court also noted that there are already laws, rules and court directions in place to prevent unauthorised hoardings and environmentally harmful campaign practices.
After hearing the parties, the Court made it clear that it cannot interfere in the absence of any concrete material showing violation of the Model Code of Conduct or election guidelines. The Court recorded the submission made by the respondents and said,
“Counsel for respondents (Election Commission and other authorities concerned) has submitted that no complaints have been recieved so far. The writ petition has been filed without disclosing any violation. (Since the petitioner has failed to show) that there is a violation of the guidelines of the Model Code of Conduct in elections by installation of boards, banners, flags etc., we are not inclined to accept this PIL,”
the Court said.
The petition filed before the High Court had sought enforcement of a circular dated March 18, 2026, which was issued by the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Kerala. This circular directed strict compliance with guidelines that require the use of eco-friendly materials during election campaigns. These guidelines were issued as part of the green protocol measures implemented for the upcoming Kerala Assembly elections.
As per the green protocol, political parties, candidates and election authorities are required to avoid the use of plastic, Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) and other non-biodegradable materials in campaign activities. The aim of these guidelines is to reduce environmental damage caused by election campaign waste such as plastic boards, banners and flags.
The petitioner had raised concerns that large amounts of waste would be generated during the election season due to illegal plastic boards and non-biodegradable campaign materials. The petitioner also argued that the Kerala State Policy on Outdoor Advertising was not being properly implemented.
On the other hand, the Election Commission of India (ECI) informed the Court that proper mechanisms are already in place to deal with such issues.
The ECI told the Court that Model Code of Conduct violation squads, anti-defacement squads and flying squads have been deployed across constituencies to monitor election campaigns and ensure compliance with the rules. The ECI also informed the Court that no complaints had been received so far regarding any violation of the eco-friendly campaign guidelines.
Since the petitioner was not able to show any specific violation or breach of the guidelines, the Court decided not to entertain the PIL and dismissed the petition. The case highlights that courts generally do not interfere in policy matters or election-related issues unless there is clear evidence of violation of law or guidelines.
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