Ashraf Ali, the Malayali youngster from Palakkad who was in contention for Fjällräven Polar, an annual 300-km-long expedition lasting a week along the tough Arctic terrain, lost the online poll amidst allegations by his campaign managers of foul play.
He ended up with 2.26 lakh votes against the 2.40 lakh bagged by his nearest rival Jayaraj Gadela from Visakhapatnam as the voting over Facebook drew to a close on Thursday afternoon. His hopes were raised after he managed a lead, albeit a slender one, on Wednesday afternoon. They were locked in a stiff online battle for selection from the region covering India, which was named The World.
Meanwhile, some campaigns as part of the month-long online poll for selection of winners from 11 different regions came under a cloud after Fjällräven, the maker of outdoor winter gear and the organisers of the expedition, decided to withhold the declaration of results of online polling till January 7.
In a statement, the organisers expressed dismay about some campaigns being not in line with their terms and conditions and not respecting the values of Fjällräven and the Fjällräven Polar event.
Violating rules
“We are following the discussions online, reading your emails and hearing your concerns. We are aware of what is happening and kindly ask you NOT to accuse other applicants. Actions against applications and campaigns violating the rules during the competition have already been taken and we will continue to screen and investigate further,” the statement said.
