Former Wadakkanchery MLA and KPCC general secretary Anil Akkara has lodged a complaint with the Kerala Vigilance Department seeking a probe into an audio recording that recently surfaced on social media, allegedly indicating a ₹50 lakh bribe offer by the CPM to influence the Block Panchayat president election in Wadakkanchery, Thrissur.

According to Akkara, the audio clip, submitted along with the complaint, allegedly features E U Jaffer, a Muslim League–backed independent member elected from the Thali division of the Wadakkanchery Block Panchayat in the recently concluded local body polls, claiming that he was offered money to switch sides during the election.

In the recording, the speaker says the CPM presented him with two choices—either take over as Block Panchayat president or accept ₹50 lakh and vote for the LDF’s candidate. “I have decided to take the ₹50 lakh and settle my life,” he is heard saying. The conversation is said to have taken place on the eve of the election during a phone call with A A Musthafa, Congress Varavoor mandalam president.

At the time, the Block Panchayat had an equal strength of seven members each from the LDF and the UDF. The LDF secured the president’s post after Jaffer cross-voted in its favour. He did not attend the vice-president election either, enabling the LDF to win that post as well. Jaffer submitted his resignation from the panchayat the following day.

The audio further suggests that backing the UDF would have resulted in a tie, with the president being chosen by drawing lots, offering him no personal gain. The speaker is also heard saying that he would quit politics altogether if he received the money. Jaffer had won his seat by a margin of 31 votes. The recording was released by P I Shanavas, the UDF candidate who lost the president’s election.

"The Vigilance Department has initiated an inquiry based on his complaint, and I will give a detailed statement to investigators within two days," Akkara told Onmanorama. He has also filed a complaint with the Director General of Police. Akkara is currently the president of the Adat Grama Panchayat in Thrissur. 

However, CPM district secretary K V Abdul Kahder dismissed the allegation as an attempt by the Congress to mask its political failure. He said the Congress was unable to retain its own members and was now resorting to “foolish” accusations. Speaking to Onmanorama, Kahder also alleged that filing complaints based on false claims was a habitual practice of Anil Akkara, adding that the allegations were baseless and unsupported by evidence. CPM state secretary M V Govindan said the party did not need to engage in secret dealings with anyone outside the party. He added that the CPM would examine the allegation and take appropriate action.

Meanwhile, Mustafa stated in a video message he released that the CPM should intervene and ascertain what had actually happened.
Onmanorama could not independently verify the authenticity of the audio clip. Onmanorama also attempted to reach Jaffer for his response, but he was unavailable for comment.