CPM to look into complaints of cross voting

Alappuzha, May 14 (UNI) The CPM district committee will enquire into the complaints of cross voting in at least four constituencies where the party candidates lost in the recent Kerala assembly elections.

The CPM conceded six seats to the UDF out of a total eleven in this district even as the LDF reaped gains in the neighbouring districts.

The most humiliating defeat for the party was that of T Devakumar in Harippad. He is the lone sitting MLA of the CPM who lost in this election. Another glaring defeat is that of of Saji Cherian in Chengannoor.

Meanwhile, the CPI has also reportedly complained to the CPM on the ''cross voting'' by CPM cadres in Alappuzha, where CPI candiate T J Anjelose was in the fray. The party would also look into the clash between the CPM Kuttanad area committee and candidate K C Joseph, who lost to Thomas Chandy of the DIC(K).

The CPM was fully confident of winning in the Pandalam, Chengannoor and Harippad constituencies. A large section in the CPM strongly believes that K K Shaju of the JSS received ''secret help'' from the CPM as the party candidate K Raghavan was ''unacceptable'' to them.

UNI XR ARC DK1525