The United Democratic Front (UDF), which is meeting here on Monday after a 20-day period of inactivity, is expected to devise a plan of action to put the government and the CPI(M) on the mat on the bogus vote and police postal ballot issues.
The UDF liaison committee could not meet since senior leaders were out of station. But its constituents have been quite active by highlighting casting of bogus votes allegedly by CPI(M) cadres in some constituencies and the alleged manipulation in the postal ballots allotted to policemen on election duty. The UDF has also accused the CPI(M) and the government of tampering with the voters’ list utilising pro-Left service organisations.
The UDF has apparently got an upper hand because of the follow up action by Chief Electoral Officer Teeka Ram Meena. However, there is a limitation for the UDF to push the bogus vote issue beyond a point because there are allegations that workers belonging to the IUML too had indulged in the malpractice.
Charges of bogus voting have surfaced on several occasions in the past, but this is for the first time that hard evidence has been thrown up, thanks to web cameras installed by the Election Commission. On previous occasions, the accusing finger has been pointed at the CPI(M), but opponents, which invariably was the Congress party, did not pursue the charges.
This was because of two reasons – either the Congress candidate would have won the seat or factionalism prevented any further action. The incumbent KPCC president Mullappally Ramachandran had come up with facts and figures of bogus voting in 1999, but he could not pursue it because the Congress party was neck deep in factional wars.
The bogus voting in the Lok Sabha election has not been widespread enough to upset electoral verdicts, but it certainly is a blow on the State’s reputation for holding elections in a free and fair manner.
The CPI(M) has disowned party workers who have indulged in electoral malpractices, stating that it did not support such actions. The postal ballot issue is emerging as a serious issue, indicating to the interference of pro-CPI(M) officials in the electoral process. The UDF will prepare a plan to bash its prime political enemy
Senior leaders such as K. Muraleedharan, who contested from Vadakara, have averred that the issue of bogus voting, which took place in several booths, would be chased beyond the electoral verdict, even if he wins the election. The UDF leadership will have to take a stand on similar lines, according to Congress sources.
