EC letter bears Kerala BJP seal, opposition furious
What's the story
A political controversy erupted after an Election Commission of India (ECI) letter, bearing the seal of the Bharatiya Janata Party's Kerala unit, surfaced online. The letter was a March 19, 2019, communication sent to political parties. The Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPI(M), first raised the issue on the social media platform X.
Party allegations
CPI(M) questions integrity of ECI, BJP
The CPI(M) questioned the integrity of the ECI and the BJP, asking if they were now operating as one. "Have all pretences been dropped by the BJP?" the party asked on X. The party demanded separate desks for both organizations. "At least maintain the courtesy of two separate desks," it said, adding, "Seals are being casually swapped. A BJP seal on an Election Commission letter!"
Twitter Post
CPI(M) Kerala's post on ECI's communication
Have all pretences been dropped by the BJP?
— CPI(M) Kerala (@CPIMKerala) March 23, 2026
It is no secret that the same power centre seems to control both the Election Commission of India and the BJP. Even then, at least maintain the courtesy of two separate desks.
Now even that seems unnecessary.
Seals are being casually… pic.twitter.com/MfMXNaXTgk
Opposition response
Congress asks if ECI is operating out of BJP office
The Congress party also slammed the ECI over the incident. They asked if the ECI was operating out of a BJP office and how it got access to their seals. The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Kerala clarified that this was a "purely clerical error" after the BJP submitted a photocopy of a 2019 directive with its seal while seeking clarification on guidelines.
Official action
Assistant Section Officer suspended over incident
The CEO's office confirmed that an Assistant Section Officer responsible for handling the file was suspended over the incident, India Today reported. The office stated the error was identified and rectified immediately. On March 21, a formal withdrawal of the document was issued to all political parties and election officers.