The Congress’s post-election fight with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] appears to have intensified with the election officials confirming bogus voting in some polling booths in Kannur district.
The Congress has now demanded a repoll in more than 100 polling booths where it suspects bogus voting took place in Kasaragod and Kannur Lok Sabha constituencies.
Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said that the Left Democratic Front and the CPI(M) had lost their moral right to continue in office in the light of the findings of the Chief Electoral Officer.
He alleged that the State administration, controlled by the CPI(M) had tried to sabotage the democratic process. He wanted the Chief Minister to explain the situation in a convincing manner.
Media expose
Video clips exposing the casting of bogus votes by a few CPI(M) functionaries hit the headlines the other day, prompting the State Election Commission to order a probe. The probe established conclusively that three people, including a CPI(M) panchayat member had cast bogus votes in polling booths in Kasargod seat.
At this point of time, the extent of bogus voting is not clear but it does help the Congress party to nail the CPI(M) on the bogus voting issue, an allegation the former has been raising in all previous elections, but seems to have made out a case this time. There have been several instances of opponents’ polling agents being threatened, or prevented from doing their job.
Functionaries’ role
The involvement of the CPI(M) local functionaries, including a panchayat member has certainly put the party’s leadership on the backfoot. The undemocratic practices of its cadres will be difficult for the party leadership to easily justify. The only official reaction so far was from Industries Minister E.P. Jayarajan, who maintained that only open vote was cast. He said he was not sure how the election authorities had arrived at the conclusion about bogus votes being cast.
The bogus vote issue also shatters the confidence that voters about the photo electoral rolls, which was considered near foolproof.
Meanwhile, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Mullappally Ramachandran said on Monday that he too was a victim of bogus voting. He said that he had lost the 1999 general elections because of bogus voting and that he raised the issue then but to no avail. “I feel vindicated now,” he said.