A controversy has erupted in Kerala after a letter issued from the Election Commission’s office carried the seal of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The incident has drawn sharp reactions from opposition parties, including the CPI(M) and Congress.

The letter in question was a 2019 communication related to FAQs on criminal antecedents of candidates. It was reportedly sent by the Kerala Chief Electoral Officer’s (CEO) office to political parties on March 21, but it mistakenly included the BJP Kerala seal.

Following the backlash, Kerala Chief Electoral Officer Rathan Kelkar clarified that the issue was the result of a clerical error. He said the letter had already been withdrawn and corrected.

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CEO Kerala calls it 'clerical error'

In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), the CEO said, “ It has come to our notice that a letter from the Election Commission, bearing the seal of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is being circulated across various Malayalam news channels. The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) hereby clarifies that this was purely a clerical error, which was identified and rectified immediately.”

Explaining the sequence of events, the CEO of Kerala said a BJP delegation had earlier visited the office seeking clarifications on the FAQs. The memorandum submitted by them included a copy of the 2019 letter carrying the party’s seal. Due to an error, officials circulated that version to all political parties.

The mistake was identified the next day, after which a fresh communication was sent asking parties to disregard the earlier letter. Updated guidelines were also shared.

Opposition parties raise questions

The incident triggered strong political reactions. The CPI(M) Kerala unit alleged that it reflected a deeper connection between the Election Commission and the BJP.

In a post on X, CPI(M) Kerala said, "Have all pretences been dropped by the BJP? It is no secret that the same power centre seems to control both the Election Commission of India and the BJP. Even then, at least maintain the courtesy of two separate desks."

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It further added, "We have often heard claims that, no matter which button is pressed on a voting machine, the lotus lights up. But this is the first time it appears as if the BJP and the Election Commission are using the same seal."

The Congress also questioned the incident, asking whether the Election Commission was operating from a BJP office or if the letter was effectively issued by the party using the Commission’s letterhead.