The Election Commission of India (ECI) has clarified that the presence of a BJP seal on an official document circulated to political parties in Kerala was due to a “clerical error”, following a political controversy over the issue.
The controversy arose after a document linked to a March 19, 2019 communication was shared among political parties in Kerala. The affidavit attached to the letter carried the seal of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), raising concerns about the neutrality of the poll body.
The CPI(M) Kerala unit posted images of the document on social media, alleging influence of the ruling party over the Election Commission. The party claimed the document had been received by several political groups and verified through multiple sources.
Responding to the allegations, the Election Commission stated that the issue resulted from an oversight and was not deliberate. Officials explained that the BJP’s Kerala unit had recently approached the Chief Electoral Officer’s (CEO) office seeking clarification on earlier guidelines regarding the disclosure of candidates’ criminal records.
As part of this process, the party submitted a photocopy of a 2019 directive that already bore the BJP seal. However, officials failed to notice the seal and inadvertently circulated the same document to other political parties while responding to the query.
The Commission said the error was quickly identified and corrective steps were taken. On March 21, the Deputy Chief Electoral Officer issued a letter withdrawing the document and sent revised communication to all concerned parties and officials.
The EC also urged the public and media not to spread misleading claims, describing the issue as a routine administrative lapse. It reiterated that the electoral process remains independent and free from external influence.
Meanwhile, disciplinary action has been initiated, with an official involved in handling the document suspended pending an inquiry.
Kerala is set to go to the polls in a single phase on April 9, with counting scheduled for May 4.
