Kottayam: As emerging evidence points to attempts at rigging the electoral roll for next month's Kerala Legislative Assembly election, some are wary of the procedures in place for postal ballots. Their fears are not misplaced as reports of electoral fraud with regard to postal ballots had appeared during the civic polls in the state. A 92-year-old woman voter, whose son is a local office-bearer of the BJP, even objected to the method of casting her postal ballot as officials arrived at her home.

Bhavani Amma, who belongs to Kollamparambil, Kollad in Kottayam district, refused to deposit her ballot paper in the bag brought to her house by polling officials saying that it was not safe and demanded a ballot box.

Election officials had reached Bhavani Amma's house around 5 pm to collect her vote. After marking her vote on the ballot paper and placing it inside an envelope, the elderly voter demanded a ballot box. However, when the officials asked to place the envelope in their bag, she refused.

Soon, the presiding officer and the police reached Bhavani Amma's house to settle the dispute. District Collector M Anjana also intervened over the phone. Finally, the issue was solved three-and-a-half hours later, when Bhavani Amma placed the envelope containing her vote in the bag along with other envelopes.

Meanwhile, Bhavani Amma's son K G Salim Kumar has filed a complaint with the Election Commission over the presence of polling officials in the room where the voter exercised their franchise.

Kumar, a retired Block Development Officer, is vice-president of BJP's Kollad unit.

Voting stalls in Kannur

Another complaint has been filed in Kannur district over the inadequate arrangements for postal voting for police and other officials on election duty. In the polling station at Iritty block panchayat hall, voting started without a ballot box or booth. A box was brought only by 11.30 am after the UDF candidate for Peravoor Assembly constituency Sunny Joseph raised a complaint. All the voters who had reached the polling station before that time had no option but to wait.

Earlier, a group of people had blocked polling officials at Mundayamparambu in Peravoor alleging that UDF candidates and agents were not informed about the procedures for postal votes. Moreover, they found only the presiding officer and cameraman carried their photo IDs.

Congress leader K Sudhakaran had also alleged that a move to misuse postal ballots are on.

"Without informing the representatives of the UDF candidates, the CPM agents and polling officials were seizing the postal votes," he claimed.

Several polling officers visiting the homes of postal voters didn't carry ID cards, he added.

Good response so far

Meanwhile, over 30,000 voters exercised their franchise on the first day of postal polling for senior citizens aged above 80 years, COVID-19 positive and quarantined people and differently abled. There are 4.02 lakh voters in this category across the state.

Special arrangements have been made to enable these people to vote. Polling officials arrive at their homes, collect an affidavit and vote in special sealed covers, which are stored in a strong room at the office of the presiding officer. The opening and closing of strong rooms every day are recorded on video.

Service votes

Similarly, the casting of votes by employees in the essential services sector also has started. Those utilizing this facility are police personnel, Fire and Rescue Services staff and home guards. Special voting centres have been arranged in all 140 constituencies in the state for the purpose.