Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Ramesh Chennithala has said that removal of V.K. Balakrishnan from the post of Kannur District Collector would not alone suffice to solve the issues plaguing the by-election process in Kannur.
Addressing a press conference here on Friday in the wake of reports that the Central Election Commission had directed the State Government to remove and replace Mr. Balakrishnan, Mr. Chennithala said action would have to be initiated against officials who had played a major role in adding bogus voters to the electoral list in Kannur. Only such action, apart from steps to set right the anomalies in the electoral roll, would ensure a free and fair election in Kannur.
Assuring the public that they did not have to fear anybody while voting was the Election Commission’s job, he said. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) was trying to sabotage the elections using Government machinery. There were also reports on the CPI (M) planning to unleash violence in Kannur on poll day, the KPCC chief alleged.
Stating that the Congress would resort to legal measures to counter the tactics of the CPI (M), Mr. Chennithala said such a situation was unprecedented in Kerala. This had forced the Congress to mull over amendments to the Representation of The People Act and to suggest the same to the party high command.
“The Congress will use all its force and resource power to ensure that the strategies of the CPI (M) do not work in Kannur,” he added.
