VD Satheesan accuses P Sarin of unfair voter registration in Palakkad

Palakkad: The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) on Friday accused the Left Democratic Front (LDF) candidate for the Palakkad by-election, P Sarin, of securing voter registration through unfair means. The UDF alleged that Sarin obtained a residency certificate for the constituency with the help of the BJP. However, Sarin, who was the Congress' digital media convener before being removed from the party, and his wife have denied these accusations.

Leader of the Opposition, VD Satheesan, claimed that Sarin had lived in the constituency for only about three months but managed to obtain a residency certificate, which typically requires continuous residence in a place for at least six months. Satheesan suggested that this was made possible because the municipality is under BJP control, and alleged that Sarin had used fake documents to acquire the certificate.

Satheesan further stated that Sarin and his wife had never actually lived in the house they own in the constituency, as it had been rented out. He accused both the BJP and CPM of adding voters to the electoral roll through fraudulent means and announced that the UDF would challenge these actions after the by-election, PTI reported.

In response, Sarin and his wife rejected Satheesan's claims as "unsubstantiated". They insisted that they had been living in their house in the Palakkad assembly constituency for several years since purchasing it in 2018. Sarin’s wife also criticised the opposition leader, stating that family members who are not involved in politics should not be dragged into such disputes. She further mentioned that while working in Sharjah, she had seen media reports in which Satheesan and other leaders accused her of wrongfully obtaining a voter ID based on a Palakkad address.

During a joint press conference, Sarin acknowledged that he and his wife had voted from the Ottapalam assembly constituency in the 2024 general elections. However, he questioned what was wrong with acquiring a voter ID in Palakkad, given that he had a residential address in the constituency. Sarin explained that Satheesan might have been misled by the fact that he had been living in a rented accommodation near his own house. He added that he had moved into the rented space to avoid inconveniencing the tenants in his own house, especially since many people would be visiting him during the campaign.