Sudhakaran, known for his forthright remarks, confessed that he and others manipulated postal votes in favour of CPI(M) candidate KV Devadas during the 1989 Lok Sabha elections in Alappuzha.
Published May 15, 2025 | 1:23 PM ⚊ Updated May 15, 2025 | 1:23 PM
G Sudhakaran. (Facebook)
Synopsis: The Election Commission of India ordered a probe into the revelation by senior CPI(M) leader G Sudhakaran regarding alleged tampering of postal votes during the 1989 Lok Sabha elections in Alappuzha constituency.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday, 15 May, took serious note of media reports on the revelation by senior CPI(M) leader G Sudhakaran regarding alleged tampering of postal votes during the 1989 Lok Sabha elections in the Alappuzha constituency.
In a startling revelation, the former Kerala minister admitted to tampering with postal votes in a parliamentary election held 36 years ago. The disclosure was made during a public function organised as part of the NGO Union state conference on Wednesday.
Sudhakaran, known for his forthright remarks, confessed that he and others manipulated postal votes in favour of CPI(M) candidate KV Devadas during the 1989 Lok Sabha elections in Alappuzha.
The election in question saw Devadas pitted against Congress stalwart Vakkom Purushothaman, who eventually won with a resounding majority.
“I was the election committee secretary when KV Devadas, leader of our service organisation KSTA, contested. I, along with others, tampered with postal votes at the district committee office. At that time, 15 percent of votes from our service organisation members were against Devadas,” Sudhakaran admitted on stage.
Interestingly, Sudhakaran remarked that he had no objection if a case were to be registered against him over the incident.
His candid admission has already triggered murmurs within political circles and is likely to stir fresh debates on the integrity of electoral processes in the state. The CPI(M) state leadership has not officially responded to the disclosure as of now.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Kerala, Dr Ratan U Khelkar, said that tampering with postal votes amounts to a grave offence under sections 136 and 128 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, and relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC)/Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
“The Election Commission of India conducts elections in the country in a free, fair, and transparent manner as per the Representation of the People Act, the Election Rules, and its own guidelines. However, any attempt to manipulate postal votes is a serious violation of the law,” Dr Khelkar said in the release.
Following the revelation, the CEO has directed the District Election Officer of Alappuzha to immediately register an FIR and initiate a detailed investigation into the claim that attempts were made to sabotage the electoral process through the rigging of postal votes.
The ECI’s decision to seek a police probe into the alleged electoral malpractice will pose a significant challenge as it dates back over three decades. Further developments are awaited as the Alappuzha district authorities move to act on the CEO’s directive.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil with inputs from Dileep V Kumar.)
