"No access under any circumstances": Rathan U. Kelkar clarifies protocol for sealed election rooms

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Rathan U. Kelkar has intervened in the growing controversy surrounding the unauthorised opening of election material rooms in Kozhikode and Palakkad. Issuing a stern directive to all 14 district collectors and returning officers, the CEO mandated that no sealed or unsealed rooms within counting centres—including material storage rooms—be opened under any circumstances until the counting of votes is officially completed.

The CEO's order emphasises that any attempt to access these rooms before the scheduled counting day is a direct violation of established election procedures. While officials may have inadvertently locked essential documents inside, the CEO clarified that the responsibility for such lapses rests solely with the officers involved. Attempting to retrieve these documents prematurely is deemed unacceptable, as it breeds public suspicion and undermines the credibility of the Election Commission.

This intervention specifically prohibits opening rooms for administrative tasks, such as preparing index cards or verifying data on the Encore portal. The urgency of this directive follows a series of disputes, most notably at the Vellimadukunnu JDT Centre in Kozhikode, where the opening of a material room adjacent to the Perambra constituency’s strong room sparked a major political row. Similarly, plans to open the strong room at Victoria College in Palakkad’s Nenmara constituency were abruptly cancelled by the district collector this morning following the CEO’s strict clarification of the rules.