Perambra. Election officials have issued a notice to LDF convenor and candidate TP Ramakrishnan in connection with the controversial election announcement case in Perambra in Kozhikode district of Kerala. Due to this the political atmosphere in this area has become more heated. The controversy came to light when a local resident, Mundakkandi Salil, followed the campaign vehicle and recorded its audio. Senior CPI(M) leader TP Ramakrishnan is trying to win his fourth victory from this seat.
It is being told that in this announcement it was alleged that Muslim League workers were seeking votes on religious grounds and appealing for support of “candidate of their community”.
The United Democratic Front (UDF) says the message was designed to incite communal sentiments and polarize voters.
Acting on a complaint lodged by the UDF, the deputy collector in charge of enforcing the code of conduct has sought clarification on the alleged violations related to the audio message, which has sparked a major controversy.
The notice comes at a time when the LDF is already facing allegations from the opposition, which is accusing the CPI(M) of practicing divisive politics.
The announcement, broadcast by the campaign vehicle, has been widely criticized for attempting to portray rival groups as carrying out religion-based mobilisation.
Senior Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader TT Ismail called it “unfortunate”. He said while the CPI(M) talks about “social engineering”, what happened in Perambra is “just communal engineering”.
He indicated that the UDF has solid evidence relating to the origin and implementation of this campaign material but they have not yet been made public as the matter is subject to an official complaint.
UDF candidate Fatima Tahalia also reiterated the allegations, saying it is now clear that the vehicle from which the announcement was made is part of the Left’s registered campaign fleet.
He said, “It was a recorded message. It must have been written first and then recorded. This clearly shows that it was completely planned.”
Tahalia also accused CPI(M) of changing its stand. “Initially he denied any connection and said that the vehicle was not his but now the truth has come out that it is his,” he said.
The controversy has deepened after the Election Commission intervened and sought clarifications, further intensifying the political contest in Perambra. This area is becoming a major election battleground.
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