CPM-led Opposition team meets CEO, suspects manipulation of postal ballots

After leading a delegation of the leaders of DMK, CPI and VCK to meet Sahoo at the secretariat, CPM state secretary K Balakrishnan told reporters that woman Tahsildar along with three others entered the room where election-related documents were kept and was present there for over three hours to take photocopies of it. Questioning the role of the Madurai Collector in the issue, he pointed out that the Collector told CPM’s Madurai candidate Su Venkatesan that he was not aware of the protest in connection with the unauthorised persons entering the strong room until he told him in person. “We don’t believe his statement. We think the whole attempt is to manipulate the postal ballots,” he alleged. DMK organising secretary RS Bharathi said that Madurai Lok Sabha seat has the maximum number of postal ballots among the constituencies in the state. “We fear that they might have tried to manipulate the unpolled postal ballots. Only 40 per cent of the postal ballots were polled in Madurai,” he said.

Balakrishnan said that they also expressed their reservations to the EC for seeking a report from the Returning Officer of the Madurai LS seat against whom they have given a complaint. “We also don’t accept the EC argument that no manipulation can be done. If they can’t manipulate it, why would the official enter the strong room?” he wondered.

In the memorandum submitted to Sahoo, DMK led Secular Progressive Alliance constituents sought the Election Commission to replace the Madurai Collector and the Returning Officer immediately as they have lost faith in them. They also sought the appointment of special officers to oversee postal ballots distribution, registration and counting.