Express News Service
KASARAGOD: The Congress-led UDF has give you proof of voter impersonation at Kayyur-Cheemeni panchayat, a bastion of the CPM, within the Trikaripur meeting constituency.
Overall, video surveillance and strict monitoring had introduced down the voting proportion to 81.3% from 92% 5 years in the past in Kayyur-Cheemeni, mentioned UDF panchayat convenor Jayaraman A. “Yet, the UDF could not place booth agents in six booths, and in a few booths, UDF agents were threatened to silence and electoral fraud was perpetrated with the connivance of poll officials,” he mentioned.
In cubicles no. 36 and 37 at Alanthatta Aided Upper Primary School, Jayaraman mentioned votes had been forged for 18 individuals who had been absent within the panchayat on the election day on April 6.
Of them, 11 individuals are working overseas and one individual is with a cargo ship, mentioned the Congress chief.The votes of the 18 individuals had been forged by 12 impersonators between 2.44 pm and 5.53 pm, he mentioned. “The first impersonator came at 12.45 pm. The UDF booth agents raised objections and the presiding officer sent him back,” mentioned Jayaraman.
But later, the UDF sales space brokers had been threatened to silence and the impersonators began coming in after two hours, he mentioned.
The electoral fraud was dedicated with the lively help of the households of the absentee voters and likewise the government-appointed booth-level officer (BLO) because the impersonators got here with the unique ID playing cards and voter slip, mentioned UDF leaders. “How can the BLO issue voter slip for a person who is not in place,” requested a UDF chief.
According to the UDF, impersonators forged the votes of Ranjith Okay, Shibin T V, Rakesh C P, Sunesh Okay, Shajesh P, Jayakumar S, Byju T V, Sreeranju C T, Kalesh Okay P, Sakhilesh Okay P and Sajith Kumar S who’re overseas. The vote of Sreekanth C, the sailor, was additionally forged.
Impersonators additionally forged the votes of Lekha Okay and Yasodha Okay, who had been in Goa; Sreenivasan M and Govindan M, who had been at Thaliparamba temple; and Sruthi Okay who was in Kasaragod on election day, mentioned Jayaraman.
He mentioned the votes for Sakhilesh Okay and Sreekanth C had been forged by the identical individual in a span of eight minutes. “The first polling officer could have easily called out the impersonator but he allowed him to cast the votes,” mentioned the UDF convenor.
The votes of Shibin TV and Srinivasan M had been forged by one other individual at 2.50 pm and 5.49 pm, respectively, he mentioned. The votes of Rakesh C P and Byju T V had been forged by yet one more individual at 3.56 pm and 5.18 pm, respectively.
Another impersonator forged the votes of Sunesh Okay, Shajesh P, and Sreeranju C T at 4 pm, 4.48 pm, and 5.52 pm, respectively. Three of the impersonators had been girls, he mentioned.
Votes of Kalesh Okay P and Sakhilesh Okay P had been forged in sales space no. 36 and the remainder of the 16 votes had been forged in sales space no. 38.
The mismatch between the faces of the impersonators and the ID playing cards they introduced was evident however the ballot officers turned a blind eye to it, mentioned Jayaraman.
“We are giving out the time so that the election officials can spot the impersonators from the surveillance footage,” mentioned Jayaraman.
He mentioned the UDF’s Kayyur-Cheemeni committee had shared the info with the candidate M P Joseph.
No scope for criticism: Returning officerDeputy Collector Sirosh P John, who’s the returning officer of Trikaripur constituency, mentioned it was too late to complain now. “On election day, there was no complaint of electoral fraud. In a booth, there are agents of all major parties, then there are polling officers, the presiding officer, and a micro observer. A police officer stands outside the booth. If there was any trouble, the police officer would have registered an FIR,” he mentioned. On prime of it, the proceedings had been monitored in real-time by the collector, he mentioned. “Elections now are not like those held 20 years ago. It is foolproof now,” he mentioned.
When requested if there was any scope for criticism now, he mentioned: “They can go around making allegations. But there is no point. There were so many officials in the booth. All will not turn a blind eye to election fraud,” he mentioned.