The Election Commission today moved the Supreme Court challenging the Kerala High Court's decision setting aside its order which restrained the state government from providing rice at Rs 2 per kg to all ration card holders.

The High Court on March 21 had held as "wholly arbitrary" the order of the Election Commission to stop the Kerala Government from extending the scheme of providing rice at Rs 2 per kg to both APL and BPL categories in the state.

A division bench of the High Court had said that the Election Commission's decision to defer the implementation of the government scheme was "unconnected" with purposes sought to be achieved by the Commission for securing a level-playing field for all political parties.

The High Court had acted on a PIL filed by CPI legislator Rajaji M Thomas challenging the EC order which prevented the government from implementing the scheme.

The Election Commission has contended that extending the benefit of the scheme was against the model code of conduct in the state where Assembly elections would be held on April 13.

It had contended that the scheme would influence the voters for the polls.

Kerala government had submitted that it has already been supplying rice at Rs 2 per kg to all BPL families.

However, the budget for 2011-12 had made this scheme applicable to all households irrespective of the APL/BPL division. But the government had put certain riders, which included that ration card-holders whose monthly income was Rs 25,000 or above were not eligible for the scheme.