The Supreme Court today set aside the Kerala High Court's 2018 direction disqualifying former MLA KM Shaji from contesting elections for six years, holding that the power to impose such disqualification rests with the President of India and not with the High Court. On that short ground alone, Clause 2 of the operative portion of the order is set aside”, the Court observed. While the Court did not disturb the High Court order setting aside Shaji's election, it stated that the order would not prevent Shaji from contesting elections in the future. The High Court, while partly allowing the election petition filed by CPI(M) candidate M.V. Before the Supreme Court, the main grievance of the appellant was directed against paragraph two of the operative portion of the High Court judgment, by which the High Court itself imposed a six-year disqualification.