UDF alleges security breach at Kozhikode strong room; Election Officials deny claims

KOZHIKODE: Allegations of a security breach surfaced today at the JDT Islam School, where voting machines for the Perambra constituency are currently stored. The UDF has raised concerns of potential sabotage after a room within the high-security zone was opened around 11:30 AM.

In response to the incident, UDF leaders have filed an official complaint with the Election Commission, demanding the immediate removal of the Perambra Returning Officer (RO). Furthermore, the leadership has requested that the security of the strong room be transferred entirely to the Border Security Force (BSF) to ensure the integrity of the machines.

The Perambra Returning Officer has dismissed the claims as false, clarifying that the actual strong room containing Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and postal ballots remained sealed. The official explained that the room opened was an unsealed storage area containing general polling records, which was accessed specifically to update data in the Encore software. The RO maintained that the procedure was conducted in the presence of candidates' agents and that no sensitive materials were compromised.

Fathima Tehlia, the UDF candidate for Perambra, has contested the official version of events, noting a discrepancy in the timing and communication:

"I received a call at 8:00 AM requesting my presence by 9:00 AM. However, by the time I arrived, the room had already been opened," Tehlia stated.

The Election Commission is expected to review the complaint to determine if standard operating protocols were followed during the data entry process.