Expectedly, the Congress-led United Democratic Front(UDF) and the BJP have promptly demanded a comprehensive inquiry into the allegations of bogus voting allegedly by CPI(M) workers in a few booths in Kannur and Kasaragod districts.

With the controversy gaining momentum, the UDF has demanded repoll in over more than 110 booths in Kasaragod district where over 90 per cent polling was recorded.

The bogus voting controversy has taken a serious turn with Chief Electoral Officer(CEO) Teeka Ram Meena confirming it. Three women, he confirmed, had cast bogus votes in booth number 19 at Pilathara in Kasaragod Lok Sabha constituency during polling on April 23.

Police cases would be registered against the three women, one of whom is a CPI(M) panchayat member.

The CEO said that as soon as the report of Kasaragod Collector is received, the matter would be referred to the Election Commission for further action.

With both the UDF and the BJP out to extract maximum political mileage from the controversy, the ruling CPI(M) finds itself on the backfoot.

It would not be easy for the State CPI(M) leadership to justify the ‘undemocratic practoices’ resorted to by local party functionaries, including a panchayat member.

No official reaction has come from the top CPI(M) leaders so far. Only Industries Minister E P Jayarajan is on record that only an open vote has been cast and there has been no instance of bogus voting. But the CEO has already rejected the argument made by Jayarajan.

Both Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and CPI(M) State secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan have remained tight-lipped on the controversy.

Meanwhile, the CPI(M) has, in turn, accused the IUML, an ally of the Congress in the UDF, workers also of casting bogus voting in a Muslim-dominated area in Kasaragod Lok Sabha constituency. The party has forwarded evidence of the bogus voting to the electoral officer, who in turn, has asked the district collector for a report within 24 hours.

The allegation by the CPI(M) makes it evident that the party alone is not ‘guilty’ of the bogus voting charge.

It is also significant that while the pro-UDF media has a royal gush detailing alleged bogus voting by the CPI(M) functionaries, it has maintained silence so far on the allegations against IUML workers. This lends credence to the CPI(M)’s argument that the media is clearly biased against it.

Whatever the denouement, the controversy will hog the headlines for a long time. The row is unlikely to subside with both the CPI(M) and the opposition parties determined to score political brownie points over the issue. (IPA Service)