KC Venugopal accuses CPI (M) of hijacking poll process

All India Congress Committee general secretary K.C. Venugopal on April 27 accused the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI (M)] of hijacking the election machinery, a day after Kerala witnessed a poll process that recorded a considerably lower turnout than what was expected during the initial stages of the exercise.

All India Congress Committee general secretary K.C. Venugopal on April 27 accused the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI (M)] of hijacking the election machinery, a day after Kerala witnessed a poll process that recorded a considerably lower turnout than what was expected during the initial stages of the exercise.

He expressed confidence that the United Democratic Front (UDF) would secure a clean sweep by winning all 20 Lok Sabha seats, despite what he described as an orchestrated attempt made to suppress polling percentage for the benefit of the Left Democratic Front (LDF).

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Claiming around 5% of the polling booths witnessed technical snags in the electronic voting machines (EVMs), Mr. Venugopal said 90% of such polling stations are “Congress strongholds” in an implicit allegation that such occurrences were dubious. Senior election officials including deputy collectors and deputy tahsildars have sided with the LDF government to scuttle the process, he alleged

“The electorate had to brave several adverse circumstances to cast their ballots amidst a chaotic process unlike any conducted in Kerala in the past. Many polling booths witnessed the poll process getting delayed by three hours of more due to the technical glitches. As a result, many voters waited for as long as five hours to cast their votes.

“With no arrangements made by election officials to supply drinking water or provide sufficient lighting facilities at the affected polling centres, some voters even returned without casting their votes. Such lapses took place despite yellow alerts being issued in 12 districts over a severe heat wave,” Mr. Venugopal said, while interacting with media persons at the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee headquarters here.

He also accused the Election Commission of failing to prevent widespread “double voting” despite receiving numerous alerts. Besides, several voters found their names to have illegally removed from the voters’ lists. Several cases of attacks against UDF workers were also reported from various places. The Congress will analyse such aspects to pursue legal measures against officials responsible of such lapses.