Palakkad: CPM leaders have lodged a formal complaint with Palakkad District Collector Dr S Chitri on Monday after a protest march to the Collectorate led by CPM leader and former minister A.K. Balan

“We were forced to protest because our three petitions were not answered. Why hasn’t the draft list of voters been published?” AND. K. Balan said before meeting the Collector. The CPM claims more than 2,700 cases of double voting in the constituency, raising concerns about potential vote rigging. They also demanded deployment of additional police in six polling stations identified as BJP strongholds. The district secretary of the CPM clarified that after the elections, the party will continue legal actions regarding double voting.

After meeting the CPM leaders, the District Collector, who is also the Chief Electoral Officer, assured them that steps have been taken to prevent fraudulent voting.
“Based on the complaints, we held meetings with the party representatives and office bearers (BLOs). A separate list of voters was created by order of the election commission. If such persons try to vote, procedures will be followed,” the Collector said, adding that the guilty officials would be prosecuted.

She further explained that photos of persons with double votes will be uploaded to the Electoral Commission’s mobile application and affidavits will be required. Any attempt to re-vote in another booth will result in legal action. Voters registered in other constituencies will remain on the Palakkad roll, but their votes elsewhere will be invalidated.

Meanwhile, SDF candidate Rahul Mamkuotathil claimed that SDF raised the issue first. BJP state president K. Surendran hit back by accusing the UDF of orchestrating double polls with the support of the government.

Mamkuotathil welcomed the LDF’s decision to go to court but called the lawsuits a distraction tactic during the election.