BJP's seal on Election Commission's letter: Assistant Section Officer suspended

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Election Commission of India has taken action in connection with the controversy over an official letter sent to political parties that carried the seal of the BJP Kerala unit. An Assistant Section Officer has been suspended in connection with the incident. The action comes after the issue turned into a major political controversy. The Commission had earlier admitted the mistake. Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U Kelkar clarified that it was only a technical clerical error.

According to the Commission, the BJP state unit had approached the CEO’s office seeking clarification on the 2019 guidelines related to candidates’ criminal backgrounds. Along with the application, they had submitted a copy of a 2019 letter that carried the BJP’s seal. This letter was mistakenly sent to other political parties as well. The Commission said the error was identified on March 21, and the communication was immediately withdrawn. A notice was also issued to all political parties and district collectors informing them about the mistake. The Chief Electoral Officer urged people not to spread misleading messages based on a clerical error.

Meanwhile, the CPM had raised the issue, questioning whether the BJP and the Election Commission were using the same seal. The CPM has also alleged at the national level that the Election Commission is acting as an agent of the BJP.