Published Mar 23, 2026 | 7:56 PM ⚊ Updated Mar 23, 2026 | 9:46 PM
The Kerala CEO said it was a lapse that was corrected immediately.
Synopsis: The CPI(M) in Kerala has questioned whether the Election Commission of India has dropped all pretence of neutrality after a letter it sent to parties carried the BJP’s seal instead of its own. The Chief Electoral Officer said the letter was authentic but the BJP seal was a ‘clerical error’.
The ruling CPI(M) in Kerala has questioned whether the Election Commission of India (ECI) has dropped all ‘pretence’ of neutrality after an election document carrying the BJP’s seal was sent to all political parties, District Election Officers and Returning Officers in the state.
The document in question is an affidavit attached to a letter dated 19 March 2019, which the Election Commission sent on 20 March, just weeks before the state heads for the 9 April Assembly polls.
The document in question
“It is no secret that the same power centre seems to control both the Election Commission of India and the BJP. Even then, at least maintain the courtesy of two separate desks. Now even that seems unnecessary,” the CPI(M) said in a post on X on Monday, 23 March.
“Seals are being casually swapped. A BJP seal on an Election Commission letter! Just like the old allegation – that no matter which button you press, the lotus appears – here comes another ‘coincidence’.”
The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Kerala, confirmed the letter’s authenticity and said it was the result of a “clerical error”.
It also said that the Assistant Section Officer responsible for the incident has been suspended pending enquiry.
The CPI(M)’s official handle attached images of the purported letter along with the email it was sent from. The letter, dated 19 March 2019, sets out frequently asked questions and clarifications on the disclosure and publication of candidates’ criminal antecedents, in line with a Supreme Court judgment dated 25 September 2018.
At the bottom of the letter, however, is the seal of the BJP’s Kerala unit, while the email was sent from a private address, not an official ECI address.
The email sent to political parties.
“An affidavit attached to a letter (dated March 19, 2019) sent by the Election Commission to political parties carried the seal of the BJP Kerala unit instead of the Election Commission’s seal,” the CPI(M) said.
“The document has been received by multiple parties. It has been cross-verified with at least two of the recipients. It is also confirmed that the email originated from the official Election Commission source.”
The Kerala CEO has called the allegations misleading and said it was a lapse that was corrected immediately.
“It has come to our notice that a letter from the Election Commission, bearing the seal of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is being circulated across various Malayalam news channels. The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) hereby clarifies that this was purely a clerical error, which was identified and rectified immediately,” the CEO’s official handle on X said.
It said the attached document with the BJP seal was provided to the ECI by the BJP’s Kerala unit when it approached the CEO’s office seeking clarification on the 2019 guidelines on publishing candidates’ criminal antecedents.
ECI letter withdrawing the earlier communication.
“Along with their request, the party submitted a photocopy of the original 2019 directive. The party’s seal was present on that specific copy provided by them,” the statement said.
“Due to an oversight, the office failed to notice the party symbol on the submitted document and inadvertently redistributed it to other political parties as part of the requested clarification. The guidelines in question have been revised since 2019 and have already been communicated to all political entities.”
It added that it maintains a rigorous system to ensure the electoral process remains free from external interference or influence.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
