Kozhikode: VM Vinu, UDF’s mayoral nominee for the Kozhikode Corporation, does not appear in the 2020 voters list, contradicting the Congress’s claim that his omission was part of a political conspiracy.

Both Vinu and the Congress continue to insist that he voted in the 2020 local body elections, even though his name is missing from the electoral roll for that year. Vinu still says that he cast his ballot at Booth No. 4 in the corporation’s Eighth Division, a claim supported by Congress councillors and residents. He says he has lived in the area for 20 years and voted just before leaving for Ernakulam that day. Rajesh, the local councillor, also backs this, saying Vinu arrived early in the morning when the queue was shorter.

During the 2020 polls, CPM Kozhikode district secretary M. Mehboob alleged that Vinu did not have a vote and did not vote in the election. He added that he could not confirm whether Vinu might have cast a fake vote. Mehboob said it was Vinu’s voting status, not the CPM’s actions, that needed scrutiny.

The issue has triggered unrest within the Congress in Kozhikode, prompting questions about whether the party put forward a mayoral candidate who was not on the voters list. Mehboob said the Congress should have ensured the nominee’s eligibility and warned that the CPM would oppose any unlawful additions to the rolls.

Congress leaders have not responded to journalists’ questions on whether the candidate was finalised without verifying the voter list. Kozhikode DCC president Praveen Kumar said the party had “not yet considered the possibility that someone aged 18 and above might be unable to vote,” adding that it “may be time to reflect on this.”