Midnight raid, suspicious suitcase: Focus of Palakkad bypoll shifts to ‘black money’

An anonymous call to the police and a subsequent midnight raid in search of possible black money has dramatically altered the Palakkad by-election scene in the blink of an eye. Now, all the other political issues, including high-profile defections from the Congress and the BJP, have boiled down to the alleged black money in play.

What began as an unusual camaraderie between rival politicians staying under the same roof at KPM Residency, a hotel on Robinson Road in Sultanpet, Palakkad, quickly spiralled into a fierce war of words. Fierce adversaries on the campaign trail had been finding themselves in the same 47-room hotel — fully booked with politicians from opposing fronts and media personnel covering the November 20 by-election. The hotel became the focal point after the surprise midnight police raid late on Wednesday (November 6), following a tip-off about the potential use of black money.

A hotel at the epicentre

Initially, political opponents had shared breakfast tables, used the gym, and exchanged light-hearted jabs. However, the raid, which targeted rooms occupied by Congress, BJP, and Left leaders, shifted the campaign focus from defections to black money allegations. This unexpected turn has fuelled further speculation and accusations, making the hotel the epicentre of a tense and highly charged Palakkad by-election.

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The raid, targeting 12 hotel rooms housing leaders from all major political parties, predominantly the Congress, failed to uncover any illegal funds despite intelligence suggesting the presence of black money. The operation has triggered a war of words between Kerala’s major political forces — the CPI(M), Congress, and BJP.

Anonymous tip-off

“We conducted the search based on confidential information about illegal money,” explained District Police Superintendent R Anand. “The operation followed all prescribed procedures, including deploying women officers when requested by female occupants.” Anand emphasised that the intelligence was non-specific and didn’t target any particular political party.

However, KPCC president K Sudhakaran has alleged a conspiracy between the CPI(M) and BJP, claiming their women leaders Bindu Krishna and Shanimol Usman faced harassment during the search. “This raid was orchestrated to divert attention from both CPI(M) and BJP’s involvement in black money cases,” Sudhakaran declared, promising that “Palakkad voters will respond appropriately”.

Claims and counter-claims

Congress leaders expressed outrage, claiming that the police selectively ignored the room where former minister PK Sreemathi was supposedly staying while targeting the rooms of Congress women leaders, including Shanimol Usman and Bindu Krishna. In response, the CPI(M) dismissed these allegations, clarifying that PK Sreemathi had been in Delhi for the past three days and was not present in the hotel during the raid.

“This is a byproduct of the infighting within the Congress. As far as my information goes, the tip-off came from their own ranks. We had also gotten similar kind of information,” said LSG Minister MB Rajesh. He added, “We had no clue about it until the police came to the hotel, and only then did our cadres assemble there. There were Congress and BJP workers as well.”

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A ‘suspicious’ blue suitcase

Despite the raid yielding no clear evidence of black money, the focus has shifted further, with CPI(M) accusing the Congress candidate of transporting cash in a blue suitcase. CCTV footage from the hotel shows an aide of the candidate with a trolley suitcase, moving in and out of several rooms, including a conference room where Congress candidate and former MLA Shafi Parambil, Palakkad MP VK Sreekandan, and Congress leader Jyothikumar Chamakkala were present. While the footage does not confirm any cash transaction, the aide, Rahul Mankoottathil, stated the suitcase only held his clothes as he was preparing to travel to Kozhikode.

“The cash flow for Congress candidates in the Palakkad and Chelakkara elections is visible evidence of this. In Chelakkara, as I’ve heard, Congress has even appointed a special agency to bring in outside voters. Biryani and elaborate feasts have become routine in Congress family gatherings, alleged TM Thomas Issac, CPIM leader and former finance minister of the state.

“Contrary to Congress leaders’ claims, there is no requirement for election commission officials to be present for the police to investigate black money. Routine police checks do not require the presence of election officials, as seen in vehicle inspections on the road. Once the election is announced, provisions for such investigations are already included,” added the former minister.

An unresolved robbery case

The incident gains significance against the backdrop of the unresolved 2021 Kodakara highway robbery case, where a former BJP worker recently claimed the stolen money was meant for the party. The Palakkad constituency has emerged as a crucial battleground, with BJP showing strong performance in recent elections despite Congress maintaining its hold on the seat.

BJP state president K Surendran turned the tables on the Congress, accusing them of deploying massive amounts of black money in the constituency. He dismissed the raid as “theatrical”, suggesting it was designed to protect rather than expose illegal funds.

Also read: Palakkad bypoll: It's a three-way race, with internal rifts to the core

Another layer of complexity to already-heated campaign

The BJP, meanwhile, found itself embroiled in allegations of black money after the former office secretary of their Thrissur unit corroborated claims made by the police about the handling of a large sum of black money during the 2021 elections. The case was subsequently transferred to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), with a detailed report from the Kerala Police implicating BJP leaders. However, the investigation appeared to stall, sparking outrage from both the CPI(M) and the Congress. The Congress, in particular, has accused the CPI(M) and BJP of colluding in this matter.

The controversy has added another layer of complexity to an already-heated campaign, where both Congress and CPI(M) have been trading accusations about alleged deals with the BJP. As Palakkad prepares for the crucial vote, this midnight raid has ensured that campaign financing and political alliances will remain at the centre of public debate.

Congress has successfully retained the Palakkad seat for three consecutive terms, while BJP has emerged as a strong contender, finishing second in the last two assembly elections.