Daijiworld Media Network - Thrissur

Thrissur, Aug 9: Thrissur District Congress Committee (DCC) president Joseph Taget has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of manipulating the voter list in the Thrissur constituency ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, calling it a “deliberate attempt to subvert the election process.”

At a press conference, Taget alleged that 11 suspicious voter entries were added under the name “Bharath Heritage”, the address of a residence previously associated with Union Minister and BJP MP Suresh Gopi.

“These entries included Suresh Gopi, his wife, children, and relatives — even though none of them were living there at the time,” said Taget. “The property is now owned by a person based in Mumbai.”

He claimed the names were added just before the election and were used to cast votes, implying fraudulent intent.

Taget also highlighted broader irregularities, alleging:

• As many as 45 suspicious voter entries were found in certain polling booths.
• Voters from other districts and constituencies were allegedly enrolled without proper documentation (Form 6).
• Most of the newly added names were aged between 45 and 70, raising further questions.

He further claimed that complaints were submitted to then-District Collector and Returning Officer Krishna Teja in March and April 2024, but the Election Commission failed to act.

“The Chief Electoral Officer’s statement that no complaints were received is false. We have documented evidence,” he said.

Taget criticised the Election Commission for allegedly restricting access to the official voter list website, making independent verification by parties and the public difficult.

He also warned against personal attacks on whistleblowers, stating that such actions threaten the democratic process.

“We demand a full, independent investigation. The voter list manipulation in Thrissur was not accidental — it was strategic and deliberate,” Taget asserted.

The BJP and Election Commission are yet to respond to the allegations.