Kannur(Kerala) | KPCC chief Sunny Joseph on Saturday alleged that the boxes being used in the north Kerala district for collecting votes of home voters have wide mouths through which the ballots can be taken out, and sought the intervention of the CEC and CEO to ensure free and fair polls.

Joseph claimed that when he took the issue to the attention of the district collector, the official got angry at him, instead of assuring him that he would look into the matter.

The Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president alleged that the collector was "acting as an agent of the ruling front" and sought the intervention of the Chief Election Commission (CEC) and the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of the state to ensure free and fair polls.

He made the allegations at a press conference held here, where he claimed that the mouth of the ballot box was too wide and, therefore, anyone could take out the ballots from it.

"It needs to be answered why such a wide slit was created on the box. This can be misused or tampered with. The ballot papers can be changed after taking them out. It is an attempt to sabotage the polling process," Joseph alleged. The Assembly polls will be held in Kerala on April 9