KASARGOD: Video footage of people casting ‘open votes’ is being portrayed as casting bogus votes, said CPM central committee member and Kasargod MP P Karunakaran.
The Election Commission has permitted a person from casting her vote and the ‘open vote’ of another person if she is not in a position to cast her vote on her own. “Spreading misinformation on open vote as bogus vote is questioning the right of voters,” he said.
He said votes cast in Pilathara booth was open voting and not voter impersonation. “Calling it bogus voting is shaming genuine voters,” he said.
Karunakaran said the smear campaign against the LDF was to cover up large-scale bogus voting in UDF pockets.
He said the LDF had gathered details of votes cast in the name of NRIs, who were not in Kerala on the polling date. “We will release them soon,” he said.On Friday and Saturday, UDF’s Kannur and Kasargod candidates K Sudhakaran and Rajmohan Unnithan, respectively and Kannur DCC chief Satheesan Pacheni had released video clips, showing the same persons casting their ballot more than once, before reporters.
However, companion vote or open vote is for voters with visual or motor disabilities and to cast such a vote he/she has to follow set procedures, said an election official. Firstly, the voter should accompany the delegated companion to the booth, he said.