BJP Accuses Kerala Minister Sivankutty of Poll Code Violations in Nemom

In the run-up to Kerala's Assembly elections on April 9, the Bharatiya Janata Party has filed multiple complaints with the Election Commission of India accusing Labour and Education Minister V. Sivankutty, the Left Democratic Front candidate from Nemom constituency, of violating the model code of conduct through misuse of his official position.

The allegations center on Nemom, a key battleground where Sivankutty faces BJP state president R. Rajeev Chandrasekhar. BJP leaders claim that Sivankutty distributed letters on official letterheads bearing the state government logo to appeal for voter support and cooperation in developmental activities. The letters, addressed to prominent individuals in the constituency, included the minister's official address and were allegedly printed at government expense. According to BJP state general secretary S. Suresh, this constitutes an abuse of official machinery to influence the electorate.

Sivankutty, however, has clarified that the letters were dispatched on March 6, nine days before the election notification on March 15, and did not feature the state emblem as alleged. He described them as routine requests for assistance in future...