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Journalism of Courage
The Election Commission has removed Kannur District Collector V K Balakrishnan following complaints by the Congress of irregularities in the run-up to the November 7 bypoll. Congress had taken exception to the stand of the Collector in preparing voter lists and had on Tuesday asked CEC Navin Chawla to remove all officials,including the District Collector,to ensure a free and fair by-election.
The Kerala Government has forwarded a list of three IAS officers to the commission for appointment as new Collector at Kannur.
Balakrishnan invited the wrath of Congress as the party suspected foul play in the exclusion of 6,386 and addition of 9,357 voters to the list.
The Congress,which is struggling to retain the Kannur Assembly segment,alleged the CPM had imported party sympathisers from elsewhere and got them enrolled as new voters in Kannur and that the Collector had been working as an agent of the CPM and favoured the ruling party in the revision of the electoral roll. Balakrishnan had reported to the commission that Union Minister Vayalar Ravi had violated the model code of conduct.
Besides,he also asked the police to register a case against local MP and Congress leader K Sudhakaran on charges of threatening a taluk tehsildar over alleged malpractices in the voters list. Balakrishnans enthusiasm to complain against the local MP even as the aggrieved tahsildar remained silent had raised many eyebrows. The state chief electoral officer had also sought a report from the Collector on his failure to inform the commission about the unruly developments at the taluk office.
While Congress leaders have welcomed the removal of the Collector,the decision has irked the CPM,which registered its protest by rejecting names of two IAS officers recommended by the election commission. Instead,the Kerala government submitted a panel of three bureaucrats,one of them a former Collector of Kannur.
Kerala Chief Election Officer Nalini Netto said central police forces would be deployed in Kannur on the polling day.
