Cong. allegations ‘vote theft’ in Kochi Company

With the ultimate electoral rolls for the native physique polls set to be printed on November 14, the Congress has raised the specter of “vote chori” inside Kochi Company limits, alleging makes an attempt to sneak in voters by submitting purposes that use the identical home quantity underneath completely different home names and cast rental agreements.

District Congress Committee (DCC) president Mohammed Shiyas alleged that there have been concerted efforts to enroll bogus voters underneath the guise of staff of varied institutions and thru faux rental agreements. He mentioned that in instances the place fraudulent purposes had been uncovered, the candidates failed to seem for hearings, that are presently underneath method.

“We are going to vet the ultimate voters’ record and lodge complaints in particular instances the place discrepancies are recognized. Election authorities haven’t clarified the steps being taken concerning the 6,500-odd duplications we flagged within the final printed electoral rolls,” mentioned Mr. Shias.

Congress councilor Henry Austin alleged that voters had been fraudulently added to the electoral rolls within the Vaduthala East division. “In a transparent indication of fraud, photocopies of 4 stamp papers dated June and November 2024 had been used for 15 completely different rental agreements. These agreements had been submitted as proof of residency of 60 purported staff of native institutions throughout 5 cubicles within the division. Of those, 18 purposes had been rejected by election authorities after web site visits failed to ascertain proof of residence. Even residents from Alappuzha, Kannur and Thrissur districts, in addition to from Vypeen, Kochi, Ernakulam, and Aluva Meeting constituencies, have been fraudulently enrolled on this method,” he mentioned.

In the meantime, two residents of Athani and Well being Middle wards in Thrikkakara municipality petitioned the municipal secretary—who additionally serves because the electoral registration officer—on Tuesday (November 11, 2025), alleging that cast purposes had been submitted utilizing their names, home names, and serial numbers within the voters’ record. These purposes sought the transposition of round 120 votes—30 every from each wards—out of their respective divisions. The petitioners acknowledged that they’d not filed purposes in Type 7 (for transposition) or Type 5 (for deletions). They demanded that the bogus purposes be rejected and motion taken towards these accountable.

Thrikkakara municipal authorities confirmed that the purposes can be rejected immediately, because the candidates themselves claimed they had been fraudulent. Nevertheless, monitoring down those that filed the fraudulent purposes can be powerful, they mentioned.