Cash-for-vote FIR filed against Sobha Surendran's team in Palakkad

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THE Kerala Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) on Wednesday against identifiable NDA representatives in Palakkad over allegations that BJP candidate Sobha Surendran's team handed cash to a voter to influence her vote, a day before the constituency goes to polls in the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections.

The Palakkad Town South police filed the FIR after the accused allegedly gave money to an elderly woman named Devu in Theruvakkurissi, within the Kannadi area of the Palakkad assembly constituency.

The NDA representatives were booked under sections 170(1)(i) and 173 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), relating to electoral gratification and bribery, and under sections 123(a)(1) and 123(1)(2) of the Representation of the People Act, covering bribery and undue influence over the free exercise of electoral rights.

According to the FIR, the alleged incident occurred around 10 am on Wednesday, when the accused purportedly handed money to Devu with the intent of influencing her vote.

What the video shows

The footage, released by the Congress, showed a woman — identified by the UDF as a BJP worker — approaching a house in the Theruvakkurissi area of Kannadi, taking an elderly woman aside and appearing to place something into her hand before walking back toward a waiting vehicle. They have alleged the amount was Rs 5,000.

A video clip also captures the confrontation that followed after they pulled up near Sobha Surendran's campaign vehicle, raising allegations of vote-buying. Sobha Surendran steps out of the vehicle, visibly furious. The workers claim they caught her team "red-handed", while Surendran shouts at them to stop filming. At one point, she is heard threatening to slap the person.

N Vinesh Kannadi, UDF Kannadi area convener and former ward member, who recorded the video, told TNM that the filming was not premeditated but a spontaneous response to a suspicious movement he witnessed.

"I was travelling through that area and stopped the vehicle due to a roadblock. At that moment, I saw the candidate and others going to Devu Amma's house. Then, I noticed money concealed under a white shawl belonging to one of the women. After this, I decided to record a video," he said.

He added that he confronted the group on the spot, telling them their actions were wrong and should not continue, before recording the money in the elderly woman's hand.

"Later, the woman who handed over the money informed the candidate that we had filmed the incident, and afterwards, the candidate yelled at me," he said.

Probe ordered, witness denies

Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Ratan U Kelkar ordered a detailed investigation into the allegations. The District Election Department dispatched a Flying Squad to Kannadi after media reports surfaced, and the squad recorded the statement of Devu (65), the woman identified as the recipient. She, however, denied having received any money.

Palakkad Collector MS Madhavikutty, speaking to the media, said the matter was serious enough to warrant further investigation. "When such a complaint is received, a preliminary inquiry must be conducted. As part of this inquiry, the Model Code of Conduct nodal team and the flying squad visited the area. The flying squad took a statement from the woman, who, however, denied the allegation," she said, adding that further investigations would be carried out given the gravity of the matter.

The Collector confirmed that the statement of the accused candidate, Sobha Surendran, was yet to be recorded. Copies of the investigation report have been shared with election observers and the police department.

The CEO added that authorities would examine whether the incident constitutes a violation of the Representation of the People Act or the Model Code of Conduct.

Under the Election Commission's Model Code of Conduct, all parties and candidates are strictly prohibited from engaging in activities that constitute "corrupt practices" under election law, including the bribing of voters. The law makes both the giver and the recipient of cash-for-vote transactions liable to punishment, with imprisonment of up to one year. Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act provides for the disqualification of a candidate convicted of bribery.

Congress releases photo evidence

The Congress on Wednesday released photographs it said contradicted Surendran's claim that she did not know the woman accused of handing over the cash. The images show the woman standing alongside Sobha at the BJP District Committee office in Palakkad. They also alleged that the same woman was present at the office during Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's visit to the constituency.

The Congress also said it possessed footage showing the woman travelling in Surendran's car, releasing images purportedly taken from inside the vehicle to support the claim.

Sobha Surendran has denied the allegations, saying the media's portrayal had insulted the voters of Palakkad.

"The news was presented in a way that the people of Palakkad accept money for votes," she said. She also alleged that a vehicle had been tailing her since morning and that its occupants were responsible for recording the video, adding that the man who filmed her had made a sexually harassing gesture at her on three occasions and that her confrontation with them had stemmed from that provocation.