Kerala BJP leader says party will relocate voters from outside Kerala to target constituencies
Thiruvananthapuram: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Kerala vice-president B Gopalakrishnan has stirred controversy with remarks suggesting that the party will relocate people from other states, including Jammu and Kashmir, to constituencies it seeks to win.
“In constituencies where we intend to win, we will bring people even from Jammu and Kashmir. We will settle them for a year and ensure they participate in the voting process. There is no doubt about it. We will do it again in the future,” Gopalakrishnan was quoted as saying by PTI.
His comments come amid allegations by the Congress of large-scale voter enrolment irregularities in Thrissur ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Congress has accused Union Minister and Thrissur MP Suresh Gopi of filing a false declaration to be included in the constituency’s electoral roll.
The BJP won its first Lok Sabha seat in Kerala through Gopi, who defeated CPI’s VS Sunilkumar by over 74,600 votes. The Congress, however, has alleged a “suspicious and abnormal surge” of 1,46,656 voters in Thrissur between 2019 and 2024, calling it inconsistent with demographic trends.
Gopalakrishnan has denied charges that the party used fake addresses for voter enrolment. “There may be one or two cases where allegations were raised that the owner was unaware of how outsiders were included in their address,” he told The Hindu, while insisting that no bogus voting took place.
BJP state secretary MT Ramesh also dismissed the accusations, stating that only Thrissur residents were enrolled. He pointed out that voter registration is permitted anywhere in India with valid ID proof, six months’ residence, and neighbor verification. Ramesh alleged that it was the CPI(M) and Congress who were responsible for adding fake votes.
Suresh Gopi, responding to the controversy on August 17, said that queries about voter list manipulation should be addressed to the Election Commission. “I am a minister, and I have fulfilled my duties. Those who must reply will reply. If you have more questions, ask them or wait until the matter comes before the Supreme Court,” he said.
The issue follows Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s August 7 claim that discrepancies were found in over one lakh names in the electoral rolls of Mahadevapura Assembly segment in Bangalore Central constituency. Gandhi alleged that this was proof of collusion between the Election Commission and BJP, a charge the poll panel rejected on August 13 as “false and misleading.”
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Karnataka: College student dies by suicide in Dharwad, 3 policemen suspended
Dharwad (Karnataka) (PTI): A college student allegedly died by suicide here, following which three policemen were suspended over allegations of harassment linked to his death by the victim's family.
Aditya Myageri, a BSc student at a private college here, was among 18 students detained by the Vidyagiri police on April 25 during an anti-drug drive, police said on Wednesday.
He hailed from Belur village in Bagalkot district, but was staying with his friends at a rented accommodation in Girinagar area of Dharwad city, police said.
Among the 18 students tested, Aditya was among the 10 who had tested negative for ganja consumption and was subsequently released.
Some of his roommates, however, tested positive.
According to police, Aditya's family alleged that despite testing negative, he was harassed by police. They also claimed some policemen demanded Rs 2,000 to settle the matter and threatened legal action if he failed to pay.
He had called his mother asking for money, but she could not arrange it immediately, the family claimed.
On Monday night, Aditya allegedly died by suicide by hanging from a ceiling fan at his rented accommodation, with his family alleging police harassment and pressure over demand for money drove him to the extreme step, a senior police officer said.
Police Commissioner N Shashi Kumar told PTI that an unnatural death case has been registered at Vidyagiri police station. Three policemen have been suspended over the allegations, and further investigation is underway.
