The deity recognized as a juridical person in law cannot be left without reform because he does not participate in elections. Deities cannot vote, but the Constitution speaks, the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court has said.

The court made the observation while issuing directions to the authorities to free the land of Balasubramaniam Swamy temple at Vennaimalai in Karur district from encroachment. Justices P.

Velmurugan and B. Pugalendhi’s division bench said: “The poor deity has no voting rights.

On the other hand, powerful encroachers have valuable votes. In a democratic polity electoral arithmetic sometimes appears to influence administrative resolution.

But constitutional rule is not subordinate to electoral expediency. “.