Thiruvananthapuram: Amid a political row over an Election Commission of India document carrying the BJP Kerala unit’s official symbol, Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U. Kelkar has taken action against the official involved in the lapse

In a post on social media on Monday, Kelkar said an Assistant Section Officer handling the file had been suspended. He also ordered an inquiry into the matter.

“Further to the clarification issued in the matter, the Assistant Section Officer dealing with the file in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer has been placed under suspension pending enquiry,” he said in a follow-up to his earlier statement.

The controversy erupted after CPM Kerala flagged the issue on social media platform X, sharing an affidavit attached to a March 19, 2019, letter sent to political parties that bore the BJP Kerala seal instead of the Election Commission’s official seal.

In a statement issued hours after the CPM’s post, the CEO clarified that his office had spotted the error and withdrawn the letter on March 21 itself. He said it was a clerical error that was corrected immediately.

Sharing the erroneous letter received via email, the CPM sharply criticised the Election Commission, triggering a heated debate on social media.

“Have all pretences been dropped by the BJP?” the party asked, adding, “It is no secret that the same power centre seems to control both the Election Commission of India and the BJP. Even then, at least maintain the courtesy of two separate desks. Seals are being casually swapped. A BJP seal on an Election Commission letter!” It further remarked, “Just like the old allegation—that no matter which button you press, the lotus appears—here comes another ‘coincidence’.”

However, Kelkar rejected the allegations, stating that his office had already acknowledged the mistake and taken appropriate action. He also clarified that the CPM had shared an old letter.

“It has come to our notice that a letter from the Election Commission, bearing the seal of the BJP, is being circulated across various Malayalam news channels. The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer hereby clarifies that this was purely a clerical error, which was identified and rectified immediately,” the statement said.

Explaining the sequence of events, the CEO’s office said the BJP Kerala unit had recently approached it seeking clarification on the 2019 guidelines regarding the publication of candidates’ criminal antecedents. Along with the request, the party had submitted a photocopy of the original 2019 directive, which bore its seal.

“Due to an oversight, the office failed to notice the party seal on the submitted document and inadvertently redistributed it to other political parties as part of the clarification,” the statement said.

The CEO’s office added that corrective action was taken promptly. “The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer acknowledged the lapse as soon as it was detected. Consequently, on March 21, the Deputy Chief Electoral Officer issued a formal letter withdrawing the erroneous document,” it said.

“The withdrawal notice was sent to all political parties, District Election Officers and Returning Officers,” the statement added.

Urging restraint, the CEO’s office said, “The public and media are requested to refrain from spreading misleading messages based on this clerical error. The Election Commission maintains a rigorous and foolproof system to ensure that the electoral process remains free from any external interference or influence.”

Meanwhile, in a post on X, the Kerala unit of the Indian National Congress also questioned the Election Commission, asking, “Are you operating out of the BJP’s office? How did you get access to their seals?” It added, “Or is it a BJP letter sent to all Electoral Officers with your letterhead? Can you explain this?”