The District Election Officer (DEO) of Pathanamthitta on Saturday issued a reprimand to Left Democratic Front candidate T.M. Thomas Isaac after an inquiry into a complaint regarding the violation of the model code of conduct.
Confirming the action, DEO and District Collector S. Prem Krishnan stated that it stemmed from a complaint concerning Dr. Isaac’s interaction with Kudumbashree members a few days prior. “Based on the complaint, we sought his explanation, and verification of video footage confirmed his presence at the event, constituting a breach of the code. However, we did not receive evidence to confirm that the candidate had solicited votes from the participants,” the official clarified. The candidate has been reprimanded based on these findings, and a report has been forwarded to the Election Commission of India, Mr. Krishnan added.
Allegation
The complaint, filed by United Democratic Front district chairman Varghese Maman, alleged that Dr. Isaac had offered to facilitate loans from the Kerala State Women’s Development Corporation to all participants at a Kudumbashree meeting in the Pandalam Thekkekara panchayat. It further accused the LDF candidate of misusing the K-DISC to bolster his electioneering efforts.
In his response to the election authority, Dr. Isaac, denied any wrongdoing.
