Tripunithura: The Returning Officer has rejected the request of NDA candidate Anjali Nair to change her name on the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) and ballot.

Officials clarified that the name already recorded, PV Anjali, will remain unchanged across all stages of the election process.

The candidate had sought to include the name “Anjali Nair,” which she is widely known by in films and campaign materials, arguing that her official name “Anjali PV” may not be easily recognised by voters and could impact her vote share.

Earlier, Anjali Nair had approached the Kerala High Court on the issue. The court had directed the Returning Officer to consider her plea and take an appropriate decision, following which a detailed review was conducted.

However, the Returning Officer cited that no such request was made at the time of filing the nomination papers and that the election process is already in its final stages as key reasons for rejecting the application.

The authorities also pointed out that procedures like home voting have already begun, and arrangements for the EVMs have been completed, making any changes at this stage impractical.