'22 voters from one house number'; Allegation against CPM leader, who raised complaint against Vaishna Suresh

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Trouble reached the doorsteps of the CPM leader who filed a complaint against Vaishna Suresh, who was formerly declared the Congress candidate in Muttada ward. It was found that 22 people had voted from the house number with the name of CPM Muttada branch member Dhanesh Kumar.

The house number TC 18/ 2464 is associated with Dhanesh's name in the supplementary list published at midnight yesterday. It has been found that 21 other people are included in the same house number. The Corporation Revenue Department allocates numbers in the order of one number per house. After the supplementary list was released, similar irregularities were alleged in many wards. There are allegations that voters were added in groups in some wards and some were excluded in groups.

The Election Commission removed Vaishna Suresh's name from the voter list yesterday, upholding a complaint filed by Dhanesh stating that the address Vaishna provided to add her name to the voter list was incorrect and that she should be removed from the list.

Corporation officials also found irregularities in the address provided by Vaishna.

Vaishna, who has a family home in Muttada, now lives in a rented house in Ambalamukku. The rule states that one can contest for the council only if his/her name is in the voter list of any ward in the corporation. Vaishna had also voted in the last Lok Sabha elections. Congress and Vaishna have decided to appeal against the removal of her name from the voter list.