Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], March 24 (HBTV): The Kerala Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has suspended an Assistant Section Officer following a 'clerical error' that led to a document bearing a BJP seal being distributed as an official Election Commission communication.
In a post on X, the office clarified that the 'error' occurred when a photocopy of the 2019 guidelines submitted by the BJP, carrying the party’s seal, was inadvertently shared with other political parties. The issue was promptly identified and rectified by senior officials.
'The BJP Kerala Unit had recently approached the CEO's office seeking clarification on the 2019 guidelines regarding the publication of criminal antecedents of candidates. Along with their request, the party submitted a photocopy of the original 2019 directive. The party's seal was present on that specific copy provided by them. Due to an oversight, the office failed to notice the party symbol on the submitted document and inadvertently redistributed it to other political parties as part of the requested clarification. The guidelines in question have undergone revisions since 2019, which have already been communicated to all political entities,' the Kerala CEO said.
The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer acknowledged the lapse upon detection, stating that the Deputy Chief Electoral Officer issued a formal letter on March 21 to withdraw the erroneous document.
'The Assistant Section Officer dealing with the file in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer has been placed under suspension pending enquiry,' the Kerala CEO added.
Kerala, Assam and the Union Territory of Puducherry are scheduled to hold the 2026 Assembly elections on April 9 in a single phase, with the counting of votes set for May 4.
(ANI)