An election court must respect institutional allocation of statutory powers

The RP Act assigns functions to different statutory actors. The High Court adjudicates the election petition and records findings. Section 8A concerns disqualification following the statutory process. The judgment rejected the idea that the High Court could exercise the President’s power. Institutional boundaries form part of statutory legality. Even serious findings must be followed by the proper process. A court cannot substitute itself for the authority named by Parliament. The case illustrates the importance of respecting that allocation. K.M. Shaji v. M. V. Nikesh Kumar & Ors. | 2026 INSC 111