Amid controversies surrounding election material handling, Kerala’s Chief Electoral Officer, Dr. Rathan U. Kelkar, has issued a strict directive prohibiting the opening of rooms at vote-counting centers under any circumstances. This directive includes keeping unsealed rooms closed even after the completion of counting. The decision comes after disputes in Perambra, Kozhikode, and Nenmara, Palakkad, leading to inquiries about opening a material room in Nenmara.
The issue initially seen in Kozhikode’s Perambra resurfaced in Palakkad due to plans to open a strong room at Victoria College, Nenmara. This move sparked reactions, resulting in authorities retracting the decision. District Collector M.S. Madhavikutty clarified that the intention was to access the material strong room, not the EVM strong room, emphasizing that opening the material room was not irregular.
Officials explained that the purpose was to retrieve Form 17A for accurate data entry on the Election Commission’s website. However, the process has been halted, awaiting further instructions from the CEO. The Collector emphasized that such rooms would only be opened in the presence of candidates and reiterated that the materials’ strong room remained unsealed.
Meanwhile, the Opposition UDF has escalated its campaign over the Kozhikode controversy, alleging unauthorized access to strong rooms storing voting machines at the JDT Islam Convention Centre in Vellimadukunnu. Despite officials claiming only a reserve room was accessed, the Opposition contends that procedural errors have eroded trust. As the counting day nears, the Election Commission faces the task of rebuilding confidence while ensuring strict adherence to security protocols for voting machines and related records.
