The expiry of an elected term does not erase every legal issue

The candidate’s Assembly term was from 2016 to 2021. That term had expired by the time of the Supreme Court proceedings. An interim order had permitted participation but not voting or financial benefits. The appellant nevertheless challenged the legal consequences of the High Court order. The Court considered the continuing statutory issue about disqualification. A dispute may retain significance beyond the original tenure. The judgment addressed the challenged direction on its legal merits. The passage of time was part of the procedural context. K.M. Shaji v. M. V. Nikesh Kumar & Ors. | 2026 INSC 111