Any internal electoral process is expected to reinvigorate a political party. So the recent election for Youth Congress office bearers in Kerala was looked upon with great anticipation. The state unit has been going through a rough patch for quite a while, especially after the party lost power for the second time on the trot. This internal election was expected to infuse some much-needed energy into the party’s rank and file. This time, 7.43 lakh Youth Congress members cast their votes and Rahul Mamkootathil was chosen president.
But the positive spirit was short-lived as some Youth Congress leaders raised allegations of bogus voting. They sent complaints to the All India Congress Committee (AICC) and asked for the election to be annulled. The issue was soon picked up by opposition parties. BJP state president K Surendran wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “A faction of the Congress created bogus voter ID cards for the Youth Congress election. It is a serious offence. These fake voter IDs can be used in the general elections. It can also be used to buy SIM cards. A Congress MLA is directly involved.” The CPM joined in, too, with its secretary M V Govindan saying it was a serious matter that needed a comprehensive investigation by agencies including the Election Commission of India. The matter went beyond party politics when the chief electoral officer of Kerala, Sanjay M Kaul, directed the police to investigate the complaints. A state police team tasked with the probe has confiscated a bunch of fake IDs and has taken four workers—who are reportedly close to the incumbent Youth Congress president—into custody.
The national leadership of the Congress has remained silent despite the fact that the election was conducted directly by the AICC. The state leadership, too, has not done any damage control apart from flatly denying any malpractice. The Election Commission, meanwhile, has sent a second notice to the Kerala Pradesh Congress seeking an explanation, as the latter did not respond to the first letter. All these developments have come at a time when Congress has its hands full in trying to put the ruling front on the mat. National and state Congress leaders must come forward to clean up the mess before it is too late—the party’s credibility is at stake.