Ahead of the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections, the Congress party has intensified its allegations that the BJP is engaging in targeted manipulation of electoral rolls in key districts, accusing the ruling and central authorities of disenfranchising large numbers of legitimate voters to influence outcomes. The party’s charge — often described as “localised vote list tampering” — has become one of the main political flashpoints in the state’s pre-election climate.
In the latest development, the Ernakulam District Congress Committee (DCC) claimed that nearly 8 lakh names have been removed from the voter list in the district alone, sparking outrage among opposition leaders and civil groups. The DCC president alleged that this purge was conducted under the direction of the Election Commission, purportedly in collaboration with the BJP and, controversially, with tacit support from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM). According to the Congress, many of the deletions stem from minor clerical errors or procedural oversights rather than genuine grounds such as death or relocation, resulting in eligible voters being unjustly excluded.
The Congress has characterised these actions as a form of voter disenfranchisement or “vote sabotage,” warning that such tactics — if left unchecked — could compromise the integrity of the electoral process and weaken democratic participation across the state. Party leaders say they have lodged formal complaints with both the district collector and the Election Commission and are preparing further legal and public mobilization efforts to challenge the roll revisions.
These allegations coincide with reports of widespread discrepancies emerging from the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Kerala, a nationwide exercise that has flagged and removed large numbers of voters across constituencies — including significant numbers in BJP-leaning regions like Thrissur and Palakkad. Critics argue that the process has created confusion and fear among voters whose names were marked as “untraceable” or deleted, although election authorities maintain that the exercise is intended to clean up outdated and inaccurate entries.
The BJP has dismissed the Congress’s allegations, urging critics to pursue grievances through the Election Commission and courts rather than public rhetoric. The controversy continues to escalate as both sides gear up for intense campaigning ahead of the polls.
News as reported
