6 months ago
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With the last electoral rolls for the section assemblage polls acceptable to beryllium published connected November 14, the Congress has raised the spectre of “vote chori” wrong Kochi Corporation limits, alleging attempts to sneak successful voters by submitting applications that usage the aforesaid location fig nether antithetic location names and forged rental agreements.
District Congress Committee (DCC) president Mohammed Shiyas alleged that determination were concerted efforts to enroll bogus voters nether the guise of employees of assorted establishments and done fake rental agreements. He said that successful cases wherever fraudulent applications were exposed, the applicants failed to look for hearings, which are presently nether way.
“We volition vet the last voters’ database and lodge complaints successful circumstantial cases wherever discrepancies are identified. Election authorities person not clarified the steps being taken regarding the 6,500-odd duplications we flagged successful the past published electoral rolls,” said Mr. Shiyas.
Congress councillor Henry Austin alleged that voters had been fraudulently added to the electoral rolls successful the Vaduthala East division. “In a wide denotation of fraud, photocopies of 4 stamp papers dated June and November 2024 were utilized for 15 antithetic rental agreements. These agreements were submitted arsenic impervious of residency of 60 purported employees of section establishments crossed 5 booths successful the division. Of these, 18 applications were rejected by predetermination authorities aft tract visits failed to found impervious of residence. Even residents from Alappuzha, Kannur and Thrissur districts, arsenic good arsenic from Vypeen, Kochi, Ernakulam, and Aluva Assembly constituencies, person been fraudulently enrolled successful this manner,” helium said.
Meanwhile, 2 residents of Athani and Health Centre wards successful Thrikkakara municipality petitioned the municipal secretary—who besides serves arsenic the electoral registration officer—on Tuesday (November 11, 2025), alleging that forged applications had been submitted utilizing their names, location names, and serial numbers successful the voters’ list. These applications sought the transposition of astir 120 votes—30 each from some wards—out of their respective divisions. The petitioners stated that they had not filed applications successful Form 7 (for transposition) oregon Form 5 (for deletions). They demanded that the bogus applications beryllium rejected and enactment taken against those responsible.
Thrikkakara municipal authorities confirmed that the applications would beryllium rejected consecutive away, arsenic the applicants themselves claimed they were fraudulent. However, tracking down those who filed the fraudulent applications would beryllium tough, they said.
