KOZHIKODE: CPM-backed Congress rebels have achieved a stunning victory in the Chevayur Service Cooperative Bank election. The 11-member panel, which contested under the banner of the 'Democracy Protection Committee,' won all the seats. The panel included four members from the CPM and seven Congress rebels. GC Prashanth Kumar, the current bank president, has been elected the chairman.

Congress rebels, led by Prashanth Kumar, decided to join hands with the CPM and contest the election due to internal issues in the Congress. However, the victory was marred by allegations of bogus voting, with both sides trading accusations. Seven vehicles carrying voters were attacked at various locations.

The Congress alleged that the CPM cast more than 5,000 bogus votes and prevented nearly 10,000 Congress votes from being polled. MP MK Raghavan claimed that widespread bogus voting occurred with the support of the Cooperation Department and the police. Meanwhile, the CPM accused the Congress of leading bogus voting efforts by creating fake ID cards. Congress and CPM workers clashed several times outside the polling station at Parayanchery School where the polling took place.