In Kerala, a midnight hotel raid ahead of crucial bypoll, and much ado about nothing

Bypolls in Palakkad have grabbed attention as the BJP has been frontrunner in the seat in the last two assembly elections, though the Congress has retained the seat the last three times. Both the CPI(M) and Congress have accused each other of striking a deal with the BJP.

The raid comes against the backdrop of a row around a highway robbery that took place just three days ahead of the 2021 state elections at Kodakara town in Kerala’s Thrissur district. That case made headlines recently after a former BJP worker said the money was meant for the party.

Referring to the recent raid, Palakkad district police superintendent R Anand said, “We acted on secret information that illegal money was kept in a hotel in Palakkad. Our teams searched 12 rooms, where leaders of all three parties (Congress, CPI(M) and BJP) were staying. We had also informed the flying squad, deputed to seize illegal money during the election. We followed all procedures. In one room, where women were staying, the occupants sought the presence of a woman police officer for search and we ensured that too. The search did not yield anything. The secret information about illegal money was general in nature, and did not refer to any specific political party.”

Flaying the midnight raid, Congress state president K Sudhakaran said the police action was scripted by the CPI(M) and the BJP. “The police insulted Congress leaders Bindu Krishna and Shanimol Usman by entering their rooms without women officials. CPI(M) and BJP have black money. Both parties are in the dock in connection with the robbery of BJP election fund in 2021. This raid was meant to save face. People of Palakkad will give a fitting reply,” he claimed.

Senior CPI(M) leader and LDF convener T P Ramakrishnan claimed, “Congress leaders should have cooperated with the police, which is under the control of the election commission. Congress resistance against the raid shows that the party has something to hide. Without an issue, police will not knock on the hotel rooms.”

BJP state president K Surendran claimed the Congress has deployed huge amounts of black money in Palakkad. “In the last elections too, the Congress MLA had pumped black money in the constituency. The police raid was a farce. Black money was brought to the hotel in a trolley bag, and police created a situation to keep the money safely in the hotel,” he claimed.