Cash-for-vote row heats up Palakkad poll battle; BJP’s Sobha Surendran alleges conspiracy behind visuals

Palakkad: The electoral battle in Palakkad intensified sharply on Wednesday morning after allegations of a ‘cash-for-vote’ attempt triggered a major political controversy just hours before polling across Kerala. The row erupted after the Congress released a video that it said shows BJP workers offering money to voters in Kannadi panchayat, a charge firmly rejected by BJP candidate Sobha Surendran, who described the visuals as fabricated and part of a larger conspiracy to malign her ahead of the polls.

The video, widely circulated by Congress workers, shows an elderly woman, identified as Devu, interacting with another woman who allegedly hands over money before quickly leaving the scene. A photograph showing the elderly woman holding currency notes further fuelled the allegations, prompting sharp reactions from political camps.

However, Sobha Surendran dismissed the visuals as “manipulated” and lacking credible evidence. She argued that the footage did not clearly establish identities, noting that faces were not visible and that there was no proof linking the individuals in the video to the BJP.

“This is a fabricated narrative built on incomplete visuals. There is no evidence of BJP workers distributing money,” she said, adding that she would approach both the police and the Election Commission seeking a detailed probe into what she termed a deliberate conspiracy. According to her, suspicious individuals had been following her vehicle for over an hour on the day of the incident. She claimed that a confrontation seen in parts of the video occurred after these individuals allegedly made obscene gestures.

“These visuals are selectively edited. The woman seen approaching my vehicle and the one shown sitting in the car cannot be confirmed as the same person. Only two women, myself and BJP leader Prameela Shashidharan, were inside the car,” she stated, also alleging that certain political actors were behind the episode, indirectly pointing fingers at Shafi Parambil, while also hinting at the involvement of rivals and a media person.

Sobha Surendran said she would file formal complaints demanding an investigation into those she believes orchestrated the visuals. She also raised a serious allegation against UDF candidate Ramesh Pisharody, claiming that a woman from Ernakulam had recently met her, and said further details regarding the matter would be disclosed only after the Assembly elections.

Meanwhile, the Congress has already lodged complaints with the police and election authorities, urging swift action. The State Election Commission has reportedly sought a detailed report from the Palakkad district collector on the matter. Earlier, the elderly woman at the centre of the controversy denied accepting money from any political party.

“I had asked for money, but they did not give me any,” she told reporters. Her family members supported her statement, clarifying that the cash seen in the photograph was her pension money and not part of any alleged bribery. Despite the denial, the Congress is planning to intensify its campaign against the BJP, demanding stringent action, including the disqualification of Surendran as a candidate. Shafi Parambil alleged that BJP workers were attempting to influence voters by distributing money, drawing parallels with electoral practices in North India.

“When they realised they could not win through fair means, they resorted to such tactics. This approach will not work in Kerala,” he said.