Chandy refutes charges of poll code violations

Original Report

Leader of Opposition in Kerala assembly Oommen Chandy Thursday, in a written reply to the Election Commission, refuted charges of poll code violation.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) candidate K.K. Ragesh in Kannur had written to the commission alleging that Chandy violated the model code of conduct by arriving in the constituency on the day of polls April 16.

In a letter to the state Chief Electoral Officer Nalini Netto, Chandy said he had informed police officials of his plans to travel to the northern districts of the state after casting his vote in Puthupally in Kottayam district.

Chandy also said that he visited his party workers, injured in scuffles with the ruling CPI-M activists, only after the close of polling April 16. Chandy said that he never visited any polling booth in the area.

Kannur, a bastion of the CPI-M, saw a close electoral battle between veteran Congress legislator K. Sudhakaran and the communist party’s youth leader Ragesh.

The Kannur seat was represented by CPI-M’s Abdullah Kutty for the last 10 years. Kutty was recently expelled on grounds of violating party discipline.

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