Kerala polls: Congress alleges bogus voting in Vijayan's constituency

Kannur: A day ahead of counting for the Kerala polls, Congress leaders in Kannur complained of bogus voting in Dharmadom assembly constituency and submitted digital and documentary evidence to the state election commission on Wednesday.

The visuals obtained from the webcams set up by the Election Commission (EC) allegedly show that 21 people, including the Left Democratic Front’s local woman leader, have cast votes in more than one polling booth in the constituency.

Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) politburo member Pinarayi Vijayan is contesting from the constituency after a break of 20 years.

The complaint, filed by the Congress party, also includes documentary evidence of the voters’ lists of five booths where these 21 people voted.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in a statement issued in Kannur said the visuals show how blatantly the CPM violated the rules.

“All that has come out is from one local body (panchayat) and the impression is that this would be the case in other local bodies also. This is the way how the CPM conducts itself and does it by threatening the people and the poll officials and win elections,” said Chandy.

But Rajya Sabha member and CPM leader KK Ragesh denied any wrongdoing and dismissed it as a ploy to take away the sheen of a “huge win” by their leader Vijayan, when votes are counted Thursday.

Vijayan is in the running for the post of chief minister along with VS Achuthanandan, if the Left wins the polls.