Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala Chief Electoral Officer on Tuesday issued strict directives stating that strong rooms and unsealed rooms should not be opened under any circumstances, following controversies in Kozhikode and Palakkad over access to such facilities.

In instructions to all District Election Officers (DEOs) and Returning Officers (ROs), the Commission said, “It has been reiterated that under no circumstances shall any strong rooms or unsealed rooms be opened or accessed for the purpose of preparing index cards or verifying data in the ENCORE portal.”

Calling for strict compliance, the Commission said the directive is aimed at safeguarding the “integrity, transparency and security of the electoral process.”

The move comes in the wake of a controversy in Kozhikode, where the United Democratic Front (UDF) on Monday alleged a conspiracy behind the opening of a room at the JDT Institute in Vellimadukunnu, which housed polling-related materials for the Perambra Assembly constituency.

A similar incident was reported in the Nenmara constituency in Palakkad, where officials had considered opening a materials room, drawing allegations of foul play from the UDF. However, District Collector M S Madhavikutty later clarified that the materials strong room would not be opened on Tuesday.