UDF leaders at the Kozhikode district collective on April 21 after lodging a complaint against the alleged opening of a vault in Kozhikode where electronic voting machines are kept. | Photo credit: K. Ragesh
Kozhikode District Congress Committee (DCC) president K. Praveenkumar has said that the opening of a room containing election materials, adjacent to the vault where Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) used in assembly elections are kept, at the JDT Islam Education Complex on April 20, is a clear violation of rules.
This comes a day after United Democratic Front (UDF) leaders said the room was opened without the prior consent or knowledge of the candidates or their agents. The Congress leader said in a statement on Tuesday (April 21) that the returning officer for Perambra Assembly constituency, who took the initiative to open the room, should be removed from his post and legal action should be taken against him. “Rathan U. Kelkar, Chief Electoral Officer, has already announced that the vaults or their relatives should not be opened till the day of counting. Mr. Kelkar’s statement proves that the Returning Officer has violated the rules,” Praveenkumar said.
Published – 21 Apr 2026 21:14 IST
