Kannur: Kasaragod Lok Sabha candidate and Congress leader Rajmohan Unnithan has reported booth capturing and bogus voting by suspected CPM workers in the Payyannur assembly segment.
His booth agent Ranjith at Karamel Aided L P School (booth no. 78) in Payyannur municipality was assaulted and was admitted to Priyadarshini Hospital in Payyannur.
Unnithan said the CPM workers started troubling him in the morning when he stopped a bogus voter from casting a vote for one Athira, who is working abroad as a nurse. The bogus voter ran away. But several other bogus voters turned up and Ranjith opposed them. "After this, a group of men barged into the booth and assaulted him," said Unnithan, who reached the booth.
In a video released by Unnithan's team, the Congress candidate can be heard telling Assistant Collector Dilip K Kainikkara that he would go on a hunger strike if officials did not ensure a fair election.
The official can be heard telling the candidate: "It won't happen again".
Unnithan shot back: "But where is my agent? I would like to know where my agent is. They are casting fake votes, they are sabotaging democracy," he said.
Unnithan said suspected CPM goons tried to kidnap Congress agent Vaishak from booth no. 18 at Ettukudukka in Kankol - Alappadamba Grama Panchayat. Vaishak was born without arms and sits on the floor and marks the voters' list with his foot, said Unnithan.
Vaishak is also the president of the Youth Congress's Kankol-Alappadamba Grama Panchayat unit. All 14 wards of the panchayat are held by the CPM. "Vaishak's sister has taken the photograph of the car that came to whisk him away. His mother is crying but he refused to leave the booth," said Unnithan. He has not had his lunch yet, said the candidate.
At Annoor UP School in Payyannur (booth no. 84), suspected CPM workers snatched the voters' list from Congress agent Navneet Narayanan, Unnithan said. Narayanan is the president of the Youth Congress Assembly Committee. "He is now sitting in the booth with the list," said the Congress candidate.
In four booths (71, 72, 73 and 75) at the Government Higher Secondary School at Velloor in Payyannur municipality, suspected CPM workers chased away the Congress booth agents and started large-scale bogus voting. Annoor, Velloor and Karamel are part of Payyannur municipality and controlled by the CPM. "I have reported these incidents to the assistant collector," Unnithan said.
