THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: State Congress president Mullappally Ramachandran has said that the Election Commission decision to conduct re-poll in the four booths of Kalliasery and Thrikkarippur Assembly segments under Kasaragod Lok Sabha constituency is a moral victory for the fight being raged for the past fifty years by the Congress party and the UDF against CPM’s organised bogus voting.
Mullappally said that KPCC welcomes the decision of the Chief Electoral Officer in ordering a re-poll in the four booths and added that more stringent intervention of the Election Commission is required for transparent and honest conduct of elections.
He called upon the Chief Electoral Officer to conduct a comprehensive inquiry into the electoral malpractices in Dharmadam Assembly segment of Kannur Lok Sabha constituency and Thalassery and Kuthuparamba segment of Vatakara Lok Sabha constituency. He said that only after this will people accept the transparency of the Election Commission. Mullappally also demanded the Election Commission to have a detailed study of the camera visuals of Pinarayi RC Amala UP school and that of the booths 40 and 41 in the panchayat of the Vatakara Lok Sabha constituency candidate.
He also said that Congress will provide wholehearted support to the Commission in its fight against bogus voting and conduct of transparent elections. Mullappally charged that the state Police chief requesting more time from Chief Electoral Officer for conducting inquiry into the malpractices in police postal ballot is for protecting the actual culprits. The state Congress chief also said that Congress has stated much earlier that handing over the case to Crime branch has led to compromising the neutrality of the case.
He said that CPM had tried to subvert the elections by using BLO’s and deputy tehsildars and added that as soon as the party committee headed by K C Joseph MLA submits its report on the officials who have colluded with the CPM in subverting the elections, the party will take legal action.