Kannur (Kerala), April 4 KPCC chief Sunny Joseph on Saturday alleged that the ballot boxes being used in the northern Kerala district to collect votes from voters ahead of the April 9 Assembly elections have wide openings through which ballots can be taken out, and sought the intervention of the CEC and CEO to ensure free and fair elections.
Joseph claimed that when he brought the issue to the attention of the district collector, the official got angry at him, instead of assuring him that he would look into the matter.
Later, District Collector Arun K Vijayan, in an official statement, rejected the Congress leader's allegations and said that the ballot boxes used for home voting ensured strong security and transparency.
Vijayan said that the allegations regarding ballot boxes used for home voting are "baseless".
"The process of home voting is being carried out in full compliance with the extensive security standards prescribed by the Election Commission for voting through postal ballot for senior citizens and differently-abled persons," he said.
He also said that according to the EC guidelines, a secure box or container should be used, and there is no direction to use a specially designed box.
"The ballot boxes used in Kannur are of the same standard size as those used in other districts and states. Similar arrangements were followed in previous parliamentary elections," he added.
The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president, earlier in the day, alleged that the collector was "acting as an agent of the ruling front" and sought the intervention of the Chief Election Commission (CEC) and the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of the state to ensure free and fair elections.
He made the allegations at a press conference held here, where he claimed that the opening of the ballot box was too wide, and therefore, anyone could take out the ballots from it.
"It needs to be answered why such a wide opening was created on the box. This can be misused or tampered with. The ballot papers can be changed after taking them out. It is an attempt to sabotage the polling process," Joseph alleged. The Assembly polls will be held in Kerala on April 9.