KASARGOD: The Congress on Saturday released more video footages, alleging widespread voter impersonation and bogus voting in Kasargod Lok Sabha constituency.
“The videos rip off the mask of the LDF and the CPM candidate, who you call a decent man,” said Congress candidate Rajmohan Unnithan. “To ensure the victory of the decent man, the CPM has indulged in the heinous crime,” he said.
In video footage, CPM supporter Shyam Kumar could be seen voting more than once in booth No 48 (Kooliyad school) in Trikaripur assembly segment, said Unnithan.
In another footage, DYFI worker Ranjith could be seen standing in the queue to vote at two different times, in booth No 136 in Eramam-Kuttur panchayat in Payyannur segment, he said. Based on the media reports, Chief Electoral Officer Teeka Ram Meena has sought a report from Collector D Sajith Babu.
But Unnithan is dismissive of the collector. “When he got a complaint against me for my speech on Sabarimala, he was quick to collect evidence against me. But when I sent these clips to him and called back to check with him, he said he was watching them,” said Unnithan.
In several of the 1,317 booths, the UDF was not allowed to depute polling agents, Unnithan said.“In some places which were classified as vulnerable booths, our agents were beaten and chased away after 3pm,” he said. This happened with the connivance of the presiding officers and the police on duty, he alleged.In Cheruthazham grama panchayat in Payyanur Assembly segment, ward member M P Selina cast her vote in booth No 19, when her vote was in No 17, he said.
She could be seen collecting an ID card from a CPM booth agent and after inking her finger returning the card to the same person.Sumaiya K P, a former panchayat member, could be seen casting her vote in booth No 19 when her vote was in booth No 24.
Moolakaran Krishnan, a local leader of the CPM in Kadannappally grama panchayat was seen casting his vote in booth No 19 in Cheruthazham grama panchayat, Unnithan said.In the same booth, one Pamini could be seen casting vote multiple times, he said.
An office-bearer of Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi and CPM supporter K C Raghunath could be seen inside the booth always when he is not even a voter there. “These things can’t happen without the support of the presiding officer,” he said.
Unnithan, however, said he was not ready to play a complainant here.“We’re winning the election and I don’t want to be a complainant. But these things shouldn’t happen in the local body election and Assembly election,” he said.
UDF district president and IUML district president M C Kamaruddin said the video footage proved that the LDF was winning the Trikaripur Assembly segments by bogus voting. “We’ll extend all support to Congress working president K Sudhakaran, who’ll take this up legally,” he said.
‘Will wait for EC probe’
K P Satheesh Chandran, the LDF candidate in Kasargod, said the Election Commission has ordered an inquiry into the video footage showing alleged malpractice and the LDF will wait for the findings
It was open voting, not bogus voting: CPM
Kannur: The reports in connection with alleged bogus voting in some of the booths in Kalyasserri Assembly segment are baseless and ill-motivated, said CPM district secretary M V Jayarajan. The reports about the bogus voting of some persons, including a CPM panchayat member, is intended to malign the party and borne out of the fear of losing the elections, he said. Jayarajan told reporters on Saturday that the visuals of a person helping another voter, who could not exercise his vote on his own, were being shown as proof of bogus voting. It was the handiwork of some people with vested interests, who manipulated the visuals to create the impression that bogus voting has taken place, he said. Giving breaking news to help UDF’s political agenda is against media ethics, he said. “The open votes done by LDF workers are being projected as bogus voting.”