NDA workers booked in cash-for-votes case in Palakkad: Officials

POlice on midweek registered a caseful against representatives of the BJP-led NDA in Palakkad constituency for allegedly bribing voters forward of polling daylight.The fir tree alleges that, on April 8 at around 10 am, representatives of the alliance went from house to house in Palakkad and distributed money to voters to influence the 2026 Assembly election.The complaint, filed under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Representation of the People Act, terms the act a violation of election rules and bribery of voters.According to the office of chief electoral officer Rathan U Kelkar, the Election Commission sent a flying squad to conduct an on-the-spot inquiry in Kannadi panchayat of the constituency in the backdrop of visuals airing on a few Malayalam TV news networks of a woman allegedly associated with BJP candidate Sobha Surendran handing over wads of cash to an elderly voter. The visuals were captured by Congress workers during the silent campaign on Wednesday.“Based on media reports, the flying squad recorded the testimony of 65-year-old Devu who was alleged to have received the money. The woman has denied that she received money. Despite the prime witness denying the allegation, the district collector, who is also the returning officer, has recommended a detailed inquiry considering the seriousness of the allegations,” the office said.The Chief Electoral Officer said that the inquiry will ascertain if there has been a violation of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and the Model Code of Conduct.The district collector MS Madhavikutty has also handed over his preliminary report to the district police chief.Surendran dismissed the charges as politically motivated “The Congress workers have been targeting me with a pre-planned script and following me for the past few days. One of the Congress workers even displayed a lewd gesture at me,” she claimed.However, the local Congress unit in Palakkad on Wednesday released photos of the woman, allegedly seen handing over money to the elderly voter, pointing to her presence at BJP rallies in the constituency. The party alleged that Surendran was making false allegations to hide the truth.Palakkad constituency saw a high-voltage campaign between BJP’s Surendran, Ramesh Pisharody of the Congress and NMR Razack as a CPI(M)-backed Independent. In the past 3 elections, BJP candidates have come second behind the Congress.(with PTI inputs)