Published Apr 08, 2026 | 3:44 PM ⚊ Updated Apr 08, 2026 | 5:56 PM
Congress accuses BJP workers of distributing cash in Palakkad. (Screengrab)
Synopsis: The visuals are said to be from the Kannadi panchayat area in the Palakkad Assembly constituency. According to Congress leaders, the footage shows a BJP worker handing over money to a senior citizen. Meanwhile, the elderly woman seen in the video denied the allegations and said the money in her hand was her welfare pension.
Visuals released by the Congress unit in Palakkad on Wednesday, 8 April, allegedly show BJP workers distributing money to voters in an attempt to influence voting.
The visuals are said to be from the Kannadi panchayat area in the Palakkad Assembly constituency. According to Congress leaders, the footage shows a BJP worker handing over money to a senior citizen.
The Palakkad district president of the KSU said Congress workers noticed the alleged incident while visiting a nearby house where a death had taken place a few days earlier.
He said they had no objection to political workers visiting houses to seek votes, but objected to any attempt to influence voters by offering money. According to him, that led to the confrontation.
The incident reportedly occurred near a home in Thiruvakkurissi, where a person had died earlier. NDA candidate Sobha Surendran had visited the area in connection with the death.
The BJP candidate in Palakkad is caught red-handed distributing cash on the eve of elections! All this, while the Election Commission is asleep and blissfully unaware of the electoral malpractice. It is in BJP’s DNA to manipulate elections, no matter what, no matter where.
This… pic.twitter.com/XOWQQ947mC
— K C Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) April 8, 2026
During the visit, Sobha Surendran alleged that Congress workers were filming the visuals and reportedly got into an argument with them.
Meanwhile, the elderly woman seen in the video denied the allegations and said the money in her hand was her welfare pension.
The BJP rejected the allegations. BJP state general secretary S. Suresh said the party was facing a series of accusations from rival parties, ranging from liquor distribution claims in the morning to allegations of cash handouts in Palakkad later in the day.
He argued that both the CPM and Congress were making such claims because public opinion was turning against them.
Meanwhile, Palakkad Congress candidate Ramesh Pisharody did not respond to the controversy, citing restrictions under the MCC that limit political comments by candidates.
Later in the day, addressing the media, Sobha Surendran denied all allegations of electoral bribery raised by the Congress, calling them a fabricated story.
She said the woman seen in the video did not travel in her car and was not a BJP activist. According to her, the visuals being circulated are fabricated.
She also levelled serious allegations against Congress workers. Speaking to South First, Prameela Sasidharan a senior BJP leader from Palakkad who was with Sobha when the incidents happened on Wednesday, alleged that a Congress worker made a sexually coloured gesture towards Sobha from within the car.
”We noticed it, asked them to stop the car and questioned it. We will soon file a case against them on this ground” she said.
Sobha also levelled a serious allegation against UDF candidate Ramesh Pisharody, claiming that a woman from Ernakulam had recently approached her with information related to him. She said the details would be revealed only after the Assembly elections. However, the Congress has decided not to respond to the allegation for now.
Meanwhile, the Congress has filed complaints with both the police and election authorities seeking immediate intervention in the controversy.
The State Election Commission has asked the Palakkad district collector to submit a detailed report on the issue. Despite these denials, the Congress plans to step up its campaign against the BJP and is demanding strict action, including the disqualification of Sobha Surendran as a candidate.
Shafi Parambil alleged that BJP workers were trying to influence voters by distributing cash, comparing it to electoral practices often seen in parts of North India.
The complaint has prompted an official probe, with the Flying Squad submitting its report to the district administration amid heightened election scrutiny.
According to Chief Electoral Officer-Kerala Dr. Ratan U Kelkar, the inquiry was launched following media reports.
Acting swiftly, the District Election Department deputed a Flying Squad to verify the claims on the ground.
As part of the investigation, the squad recorded the statement of Devu (65), a resident of Kannadi whose name had figured prominently in the reports. However, she denied having received any money. Despite the key witness refuting the allegation, authorities have decided not to close the matter, citing the seriousness of the charge.
The District Collector, who also serves as the District Electoral Officer, has called for a more detailed investigation to ascertain the facts.
Officials will examine whether there has been any violation of the Representation of the People Act or the Model Code of Conduct.
A copy of the Flying Squad’s report has been shared with election observers and the police department for further review.
The Chief Electoral Officer emphasized that appropriate action will follow after a thorough examination of the findings, underlining the Election Commission’s zero-tolerance approach to electoral malpractice.
(Edited by Sumavarsha, with inputs from Sreelakshmi Soman)
