Kasaragod: Web cameras at all sensitive polling booths in the district have been checked following the alleged bogus voting carried out during recent Lok Sabha polls. The collector, who ordered the checks, said some visuals hinted that bogus voting had taken place. The suspected visuals will be examined again, he informed the media. The assistant returning officers will check the suspect visuals again and submit a report to the collector Monday. If malpractice is detected, the collector would report the same to Kerala's Chief Electoral Officer.
The cameras were installed at 43 sensitive polling booths in the district - 4 at Kasaragod Lok Sabha constituency, 3 at Uduma, 13 at Kanhangad and 23 at Trikaripur.
Assistant returning officer, booth-level officers and technical experts were part of the team that checked the visuals at the collectorate from 9 am till 12 noon Sunday. All booth-level officers checked the images of their respective booths and gave information to the assistant returning officers.
13 League workers summoned
Kannur: The district collector has summoned 13 Muslim League workers after allegations arose that they were involved in bogus voting at a Kannur constituency.
The alleged bogus voting took place at the 166th booth number at Government ALP school in Pamburuthi, Mayil. They have been asked to report to the collectorate on Monday morning for evidence collection. The CPM had complained about the incident to the collector with visual evidence. However, UDF leaders said that they would submit more evidence on CPM workers' involvement in fraudulent voting.
One voter, 2 ID cards
Thodupuzha, Idukki: The Congress has alleged that bogus voting had taken place at Udumbanchola, the assembly constituency of Kerala minister MM Mani.
DYFI worker Ranjith Kumar of booth number 66 (Serial number 557 on the 21st page) in the constituency had allegedly casted bogus votes using two identity cards.
It was alleged that Ranjith had voted at the 69th polling booth of the Chaithanaya public library, Mavadi, and 66th booth of Karithod Anganvwadi.
Idukki DCC president Ibrahim Kutty Kallar has submitted a complaint to district collector and chief electoral commissioner.
The complaint said that one of Ranjith Kumar's ID cards had the number YTW 0650549 and the other YTW 0518332. Besides one of the ID cards had the name Ranjith Kumar and the other P Ranjith.
It was also alleged that names of 40,000 UDF workers were removed from the final list in the Idukki parliamentary constituency. Idukki Collector H Dineshan has said these allegations would be probed.
Refuting the charges that the CPM workers were involved in bogus voting, minister Mani challenged the UDF to prove the allegations.
He said the allegations should be checked officially and claimed that the Idukki DCC chief was not in his senses. Retaliating, the DCC chief said he did not require the minister's certificate on his wellbeing.
More postal votes under the scanner
Thiruvananthapuram: Outfits linked to the ruling party allegedly attempted to collect postal ballots of the Secretariat and excise officers on poll duty. Around 1,000 excise officers and 700 Secretariat officers were on election duty.
Complaints have now emerged that outfits threatened officers with transfer orders to collect the postal ballots. A single person is designated to collect votes at each office.
Earlier, it was alleged that Kerala Police Association leaders had collected the postal ballots of officers and marked them in favour of the ruling front.
