CPM in tight spot in Kerala over bogus voting row

The CPM-led Left front is in the defensive in Kerala with the election commission confirming bogus voting involving party local leaders at Kasargod, the North Kerala district close to Karnataka. Moreover, fresh allegations of bogus voting at the constituency that Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan represents in Kannur, as well as massive allegations of manipulations in postal votes of policemen on duty, also surfaced.

Kerala opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala of the Congress said that the Left-front has no moral obligation have not moral right to continue in power.

While allegations of bogus voting have been there over these years, this time crystal clear video evidence of CPM local leaders, including elected women representatives of the local bodies, turning up for voting twice during the polling on April 23 surfaced. The initial justification of CPM leaders that those were open votes also proved to be baseless in the preliminary inquiry by the election officials. Kerala chief electoral officer Teeka Ram Meena said that cases will be registered against three CPM local leaders, including a grama panchayat member N P Saleena. The state election commission may also disqualify Saleena.

Causing further embarrassment to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the UDF came out with fresh allegation of bogus voting at two booths at Dharmadom, the Assembly constituency that Vijayan represents. Specific instances of voters in one booth casting vote in others booths was being pointed out by UDF cadres.

Meanwhile, allegation of pro-left leaders of the Kerala Police Association had also surfaced. A section of police officials alleged that the association leaders insisted that the postal ballot papers to be handed over to them and they would submit those to the authorities concerned. Kerala police chief Loknath Behera said that the allegations would be probed into.