Political storm rages in Kerala's Thrissur amid Rahul's 'vote chori' campaign
Opposition parties in Kerala allege tampering of electoral rolls led to BJP MP Suresh Gopi's win, citing last-minute additions, voters with questionable addresses
In the wake of Rahul Gandhi’s 'vote chori' expose, the political unease following the BJP’s maiden win in Kerala’s Thrissur has given way to a storm of allegations over voter list manipulation in the state
The historic victory of actor-turned-politician Suresh Gopi in the 2024 Lok Sabha election had marked a breakthrough for the saffron party in Kerala, but what began as murmurs of irregularities has now evolved into pointed accusations of systematic tampering with the electoral rolls.
Shocking claims of last-minute additions and voters with questionable addresses are stemming from city apartment complexes and the former residence of the winning candidate, allege LDF and UDF leaders. All of which the election machinery has turned a blind eye to, they add.
Irregularities in addresses
The first charge came from Poonkunnam, where nine voters, were registered under the address of Flat 4C, Capital Village Apartments. But, here’s the catch, none of these nine voters ever lived in that apartment.
Prasanna Ashokan, who has been living in the flat for the past four years, said, “I’m a voter in this booth. But I have no clue about the nine other names under my address. I don’t know who they are. They’re not my relatives, not anyone I know, and they’re not connected to the flat’s owner, Priyamvada, either. I really don’t understand how they got on the list. What’s strange is these names showed up only in the final revision of the rolls.”
Prasanna Ashokan
Similar stories emerged from nearby flats, Chaitram Apartments and Top Paradise, where dozens of new voters were linked to addresses whose actual occupants were clueless about them. In total, around forty-five such entries were identified in this one booth alone, according to the LDF and UDF district leadership.
Gopi's residence
The controversy deepened when Congress leaders turned the spotlight to “Bharath Heritage” in Nettissery, the former residence of Suresh Gopi.
“There were eleven votes in the names of Gopi, his family, and relatives, but none of them were actually living there during the election,” said Thrissur district Congress Committee president Joseph Tajet.
Nine voters along with Prasanna Ashokan were listed under her address at Poonkunnam
“The place belongs to a Mumbai-based owner, and the BJP leader’s family stayed there only for a short time to get their votes registered, then moved out. They even brought in voters from outside Thrissur, mainly from Alathur and Tripunithura, and got them added to the rolls without following the rules. We took these complaints to the district collector at the time, but nothing happened,” Tajet said.
'Last minute additions'
Former state minister and LDF candidate VS Sunil Kumar pointed out that this was not just about his defeat.
“It was a manipulated victory for the BJP. Hundreds of applications were cleared in single booths. In some cases, as many as 280 were approved at one time. Voters from other constituencies and even migrant workers were added in bulk to the Thrissur rolls,” he alleged.
“At the last moment, the Election Commission allowed additions based on minimal proof, even just a postal card, instead of the earlier requirement for multiple documents. This is part of a wider pattern of electoral roll tampering,” alleged Sunil Kumar.
Also read: Shashi Tharoor backs Rahul Gandhi's 'vote chori' allegations
“While the LDF and UDF contested all 20 seats in Kerala with equal importance, the NDA, especially the BJP, was focused on just three to four seats in the state. They may have mobilised their cadre votes to these constituencies by adopting such tactics,” said a government official on condition of anonymity.
Electoral fraud: Issac
T M Thomas Issac CPI(M) central committee member and former finance minister of Kerala weighed in on the issue by posting a comment on his social media handle.
“Compared to 2019, in 2024 the state as a whole saw an average increase of 79,881 voters per constituency. At the same time, Thrissur’s voter count rose by 1,45,945. How many among these additional voters were BJP’s bogus voters? The BJP has degenerated into a party that seizes power by manipulating the Election Commission and resorting to electoral fraud,” he wrote.
“Around thirty thousand names were artificially inserted into Thrissur’s voter list before the election,” CPM general secretary M A Baby too alleged. “Many of these had fake addresses, which made it possible for some people to vote in more than one constituency. The Election Commission even cut the minimum period of residence to register as a voter from six months to just two days. Such a change created the perfect conditions for misuse,” he added.
BJP hits back
The BJP, however, dismissed all the accusations. State general secretary M T Ramesh insisted that every inclusion in the Thrissur rolls had been made in full compliance with the ECs rules, and that each was backed by valid documents.
“By making these flimsy allegations about the voters’ list after Suresh Gopi’s win, the CPM and Congress leaders are insulting the good sense of Thrissur’s voters,” said M T Ramesh.
Defending Suresh Gopi's win, the BJP leader said, “Gopi’s victory was the result of years of hard work by both the candidate and our party workers. Yes, we worked to get many voters added to the rolls, but every inclusion followed the EC’s rules, with all the required documents submitted. The Congress and LDF still cannot accept Suresh Gopi’s unprecedented and shining victory in Thrissur, that is why they are making these baseless claims.”
Also read: 'Vote chori': Congress launches portal, urges people to 'register'
https://thefederal.com/category/news/vote-chori-congress-portal-people-register-ec-allegations-201063
For the LDF and the UDF, the irregularities were not minor clerical lapses but deliberate attempts to tilt the scales in one of Kerala’s most closely watched contests.
From nine unexplained names in a single apartment to allegations of tens of thousands of artificial inclusions, the claims have drawn in senior political leaders into the growing controversy. Many are raising questions about the conduct of the Election Commision, and the shadow it has cast over a landmark electoral win.
Amid the row over Rahul Gandhi’s ‘vote chori ‘ expose, and the INDIA bloc seriously pursuing these charges, a parallel storm appears to be fuelling in Kerala as well.
Whether these charges are ultimately proven to be systemic malpractice or dismissed as procedural lapses, these revelations have become both a test of political accountability and raised questions in the minds of Keralites about the integrity of the democratic process of elections.
