Kerala Election Watchdog Orders Probe Into Alleged Use Of Fake Voter IDs In Youth Congress Polls

The Chief Electoral Officer of Kerala, Sanjay M Kaul, has instructed the state police to investigate allegations of the use of fake voter ID cards during the Youth Congress organisational polls. Kaul forwarded the received complaints to the state police chief, emphasizing the need for appropriate action against those believed to be involved in the alleged fraud.

The complaints emerged shortly after the Youth Congress declared the results of its internal organisational poll, where Rahul Mankoottathil was elected as the president of the state organization. The Youth Congress has denied the accusations.

The CPI(M) and the BJP in Kerala have criticized the Congress over the issue. BJP state president K Surendran accused a faction of the Congress of creating fake voter ID cards, expressing concerns about potential misuse in general elections and for obtaining SIM cards. Surendran implicated a Congress MLA in the development of the alleged application, claiming awareness by top Congress leaders, including K C Venugopal and V D Satheesan. He also shared a screenshot of the mobile application supposedly used for creating the bogus ID cards.

CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan deemed the matter serious and called for an urgent and thorough investigation by various agencies, including the Election Commission of India. Meanwhile, Youth Congress leader Shafi Parambil dismissed the allegations as a "gimmick" by the BJP state president to stay politically relevant in Kerala. Parambil maintained that the elections were conducted transparently, denying any malpractice.

CPI(M)'s Rajya Sabha MP A A Rahim expressed concern to the Election Commission, alleging that a group had forged voter ID cards using mobile applications and other resources as proof for the Youth Congress Kerala presidential election. Rahim urged the Election Commission to promptly address the issue to safeguard the credibility of the electoral system. The CPI(M) fears that the use of fake voter ID cards could pose a significant threat to democracy and has called for swift action