Kozhikode DCC president seeks action against Perambra returning officer

Kozhikode District Congress Committee (DCC) president K. Praveenkumar has claimed that the opening of a room containing polling materials, adjacent to the strongroom where electronic voting machines (EVMs) used in the Assembly elections are kept, at the JDT Islam Education Complex on April 20, is a clear violation of rules.

This comes a day after United Democratic Front (UDF) leaders claimed that the room was opened without the prior consent or knowledge of the candidates or their agents. The Congress leader said in a release on Tuesday (April 21) that the returning officer for the Perambra Assembly constituency, who took the initiative to open the room, should be removed from his post and legal action should be taken against him. “Rathan U. Kelkar, Chief Electoral Officer, has already announced that the strongrooms or those close to them should not be opened till the counting day. Mr. Kelkar’s statement proves that the returning officer has violated rules,” Mr. Praveenkumar said.