Palakkad (Kerala), April 8 The Congress on Wednesday alleged that BJP candidate Sobha Surendran was "caught red-handed" distributing cash to voters in Palakkad ahead of the April 9 Assembly elections, sparking claims and counter-charges during the silent campaign period in Kerala.
Surendran denied the allegations of cash-for-votes and claimed they were "fabricated" by the Congress after realizing she was likely to win the seat.
Similar allegations of voter inducement and Model Code of Conduct violations were exchanged between rival parties in other constituencies, heightening political tensions on the eve of polling for the 140-member Assembly.
Surendran alleged that a local Congress leader and a television journalist were behind the accusations and said she would file a police complaint against them.
She also claimed that a video aired on television channels, showing some women "offering something" to an elderly woman, had been "misrepresented" by the Congress to allege the distribution of money for votes.
The Congress, however, alleged that a woman member of Surendran’s campaign team had given money to an elderly woman in Kannadi panchayat in Palakkad district and circulated a video to support its claim.
The party also shared photographs claiming that the woman was a close aide of Surendran, though there was no immediate response from her or the BJP on this.
The elderly woman denied receiving any money but admitted that she had asked for Rs 5,000 to buy medicines. Visuals also showed Surendran stepping out of her car and arguing with a few men who had filmed the video, questioning how they could record her without permission.
Surendran said she got out of the car after one of the men made "sexually harassing gestures" at her.
Following the incident, Congress general secretary K C Venugopal, in a post on X, alleged: "The BJP candidate in Palakkad was caught red-handed distributing cash on the eve of the elections. All this while the Election Commission is asleep and blissfully unaware of the electoral malpractice. It is in the BJP’s DNA to manipulate elections, no matter what, no matter where."
"This is a crime, and the candidate must be punished for this blatant violation of election norms. She does not have the legal or moral standing to continue on the ballot," he added.
In a statement, he said giving money to influence voters is a "serious violation" of election rules and alleged that the BJP has resorted to such practices in several places to sabotage elections.
Subsequently, the Election Commission’s flying squad probed the allegation against Surendran and submitted a report to the District Collector, who informed the Kerala Chief Electoral Officer that further investigation was required, even though the elderly woman denied receiving any money.
The LDF also accused the BJP of violating the Model Code of Conduct, alleging that hundreds of liquor bottles were seized from a party office in the Nemom constituency, where its state chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar is contesting.
Responding to the allegation, Chandrasekhar said the Left would continue to make "baseless accusations".
"If they have any evidence, they should go to the police. They are only trying to mislead the public. They create controversies and spread lies as they have nothing to say about development," he said.
The LDF further alleged that the BJP was distributing household kits in Thrissur to influence voters.
CPI leader V S Sunil Kumar questioned the presence of household items such as soap, toothpaste, sugar, tea and rice at a pickle factory in the constituency.
BJP’s Padmaja Venugopal is contesting from the Thrissur Assembly seat.
Following the allegation, the Election Commission’s flying squad seized over 700 kits from the factory.
The Congress-led UDF is also facing allegations of distributing cash for votes in the Beypore constituency, where P V Anvar is contesting as a UDF-backed independent.
According to some residents, UDF leaders allegedly offered them money to vote for the front.
One such resident, a shop owner who claimed to be a CPI(M) member, told a television channel that he refused the money, but the leaders left it at his shop. He said he had filed a complaint with the police.
Meanwhile, BJP candidate from Manjeshwar, K Surendran, alleged that the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and the UDF were attempting fraudulent voting by collecting polling slips of voters who were abroad.
Neither the UDF nor the IUML has responded to the allegation.
