US EditionKerala Assembly Elections 2026: BJP Seal on Election Commission of India Letter Sparks Row in State
The letter was mistakenly redistributed due to a clerical error after BJP Kerala unit requested 2019 guidelines clarification, prompting a formal withdrawal and suspension of an election official.
- On Monday, the Chief Electoral Officer Kerala withdrew an Election Commission document bearing the seal of the Bharatiya Janata Party Kerala Unit after it was widely circulated to political parties.
- The Bharatiya Janata Party Kerala Unit had submitted a photocopy of a 2019 directive while seeking clarification on candidate criminal antecedents guidelines, inadvertently including their own seal on the document.
- Alleging "seals are being casually swapped," the Communist Party of India flagged the error on social media, while Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra and Congress leaders questioned the poll body's impartiality.
- Terming the incident a "purely clerical error," Chief Electoral Officer Kerala formally withdrew the document; an Assistant Section Officer was placed under suspension pending enquiry into the lapse.
- Issued ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the original document detailed guidelines on publicizing candidate criminal antecedents as the Election Commission maintains its systems remain free from external influence.
15 Articles
15 Articles
Clerical error: Election Commission after letter with Kerala BJP seal sparks row
A political row erupted after an Election Commission letter with a BJP Kerala unit’s seal surfaced online. The poll panel called the lapse a “clerical error,” saying it was fixed immediately, and suspended an Assistant Section Officer over the incident.
Election Commission communique with BJP's seal: Chief Electoral Officer says 'clerical mistake'
The mail with the ECI attachment having the BJP Kerala seal was sent on March 21..election commission kerala, bjp kerala seal, criminal antecedents candidate, kerala election news, election commission irregularities, cpm kerala, election commission of india, election faq kerala, political party election seal, electoral process integrity, large language model election analysis, AI election insights, election commission email mistake, candidate cr…
EC letter with BJP Kerala seal triggers row; poll panel calls it 'clerical error'
A political storm brewed in Thiruvananthapuram after an Election Commission letter bore the BJP Kerala unit's seal. The CPI(M) and Congress sharply criticized the Election Commission, alleging bias. Officials clarified it was a clerical error, explaining the BJP had submitted a document with its seal, which was inadvertently re-circulated. Corrective measures were promptly taken.
BJP Seal on EC Letter: Kerala CEO Says BJP Seal on Official Letter Was a ‘Clerical Error’ | 🗳️ LatestLY
Kerala's Chief Electoral Officer clarified that a document circulating with a BJP seal was a clerical error, not a sign of bias. The office inadvertently redistributed a party-submitted photocopy during a briefing on candidate guidelines. Officials rectified the lapse on March 21 and affirmed the integrity of the April 9 polls. 🗳️ BJP Seal on EC Letter: Kerala CEO Says BJP Seal on Official Letter Was a ‘Clerical Error’.
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