EC probes CPI(M) veteran Sudhakaran's claim of postal ballot breach in 1989 Alappuzha polls

Alappuzha (Kerala) | The Election Commission on Thursday launched an investigation after a video surfaced showing CPI(M) veteran G Sudhakaran allegedly claiming that postal ballots were opened during the 1989 Alappuzha Lok Sabha election to find out which members of a party-backed NGO union had voted for the opposition.

A purported video of Sudhakaran making the controversial remarks during a gathering of former NGO Union leaders in Alappuzha on Wednesday has gone viral on social media, prompting the EC to initiate a probe.

As part of the investigation, EC officials visited Sudhakaran's residence on Thursday and recorded his statement. They said the matter would be submitted to the district collector for further actions.

As the video went viral and the EC launched a probe, Sudhakaran, during the day at another event, said what he had said on Wednesday was not completely true and he had added something extra to it from his "imagination".

"Nothing like that ever happened. No ballot boxes were opened and no ballots were ever tampered with. I have never taken part in anything of that sort and I have never done any bogus voting.

"I have also not paid anyone to do bogus voting. What I said on that day was only meant as a small warning to those doing such activities and to let them know that we are aware of what they are doing," he contended.

In the controversial video, Sudhakaran was heard saying that NGO union members should not cast their votes for rival candidates.

He said that it is not necessary for all NGO members to vote for the party, but those who submit sealed ballots should not assume that "we won't find out" whom they have voted for.

"We will unseal them, verify, and correct them. Even if a case is filed against me for saying this, I don't mind," he is quoted as saying in the video aired by news channels.

Sudhakaran said some NGO union members had cast their votes for opposition candidates.

"When KSTA leader K V Devadas contested for Parliament from Alappuzha, postal ballots were unsealed and examined at the district committee office. It was found that 15 per cent had voted for the opposing candidate. Patching up what's broken isn't difficult," he said.

KSTA is a school teachers' organisation backed by the CPI(M).

It was not clear from the video whether the tampering of postal ballots--after they were unsealed--was carried out by him or his associates during the 1989 Lok Sabha election for the Alappuzha seat.

Sudhakaran said that Devadas had contested against Congress leader Vakkam Purushothaman in that election and lost by 18,000 votes.

However, the Election Commission documents say in the election, Purushothaman secured 3,75,763 votes, defeating CPI(M) candidate Devadas, who received 3,50,640 votes.

Purushothaman won by a margin of 25,123 votes, which accounted for 3.36 per cent of the total valid votes.

The CPI(M) Alappuzha district leadership rejected Sudhakaran's claim, stating that nothing of the kind had happened and that the party had no role in it.

They said they would seek a clarification from Sudhakaran, who has been only a party member since retiring from active politics a few years ago.

Reacting to Sudhakaran's claim, former BJP state chief K Surendran said the statement by the senior CPI(M) leader is a serious one and that it has now become clear to the public why the INDI Alliance opposes EVMs.

He also alleged that the Congress too had been doing the same all along.

"The arrival of EVMs brought an end to electoral malpractice, which is what has unsettled the INDI Alliance. Even Rahul Gandhi and others campaigning against EVMs abroad stems from this frustration," Surendran alleged in a statement here.

The Congress has not responded to Surendran's allegations.