2 weeks ago
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The United Democratic Front (UDF) has alleged negligence on the part of polling officials for the “unusual delay” in the completion of voting in the Vadakara constituency.
It claimed that voting was delayed or interrupted due to glitches in electronic voting machines (EVMs) mainly in polling stations that witnessed a high turnout of its supporters.
Post-poll meetings held by the Congress and the Indian Union Muslim league also sought an investigation into suspected attempts to derail voting. In some Assembly segments, campaign managers alleged organised attempts to prevent voting during late evening by their political opponents.
District Congress Committee president K. Praveen Kumar was the first to allege attempts by a few polling officials to rig elections. He claimed that the booths dominated by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) had witnessed no such technical issues or inordinate delay in voting for strange reasons.
Meanwhile, the LDF accused UDF leaders of making “false accusations” out of fear of failure in Vadakara. It pointed out that malfunctioning of the EVMs and long queues during late evening hours were visible across the State, and that they had nothing to do with official apathy.
LDF campaigners, who worked for K.K. Shailaja in Vadakara, also held UDF leaders accountable for encouraging a communal campaign in the constituency to win votes. They said the ongoing cyber investigation would bring to light the truth and sources of such messages, which were portrayed as fake to escape from legal responsibilities.
