BJP Kerala's seal on letter sent to political parties; Election Commission admits error, issues explanation

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Election Commission of India has issued a clarification regarding the controversy over a letter sent to political parties that carried the seal of the BJP Kerala unit. Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U Kelkar admitted the error, stating that it was purely a technical clerical mistake.

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. The party had submitted an application along with a copy of a 2019 letter, which bore its official seal.

The Commission said that, by mistake, this letter was inadvertently shared with other political parties as well. The error was identified on March 21, following which the communication was immediately withdrawn. A notification was also issued to all political parties and district collectors informing them of the mistake.

The Chief Electoral Officer urged the public not to spread misleading information based on what he described as a clerical error.

Meanwhile, the CPM had raised concerns, 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.