THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the Attipra by-elections just a few days away, the LDF had filed a complaint with the State Election Commission and the District Collector alleging that UDF was using a defamatory audio CD in its campaign.
The complaint alleges that the UDF campaign material contained songs which were defamatory to the late LDF councillor M S Sangeetha. The Collector has forwarded the complaint to the Returning Officer R Baiju, who will inspect the campaign material on Monday.
When contacted, Baiju, who is also the District Returning Officer, said: ‘’Nothing conclusive has came off the preliminary investigations conducted on Sunday regarding the allegations. We have issued a notice to the UDF to present the CDs in question on Monday. After examining it, if we find a violation of electoral code of conduct, it will be brought to the notice of the State Election Commission. It will take necessary measures in this regard.’’
In his letter to the State Election Commission and District Collector, LDF leader V S Padmakumar said that UDF candidate S Srikala and the Congress party have been trying to malign the reputation of the late councillor. UDF leader Johnson Joseph said that he doesn’t yet know about the notice issued by the Returning Officer.