Dramatic scenes unfolded in Kerala’s bye-election-bound Palakkad district on the midnight of November 5 after the police carried out a sudden inspection on KPM Regency, a hotel where prominent leaders and media persons have been staying. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have demanded an investigation into the raids, alleging that Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate Rahul Mamkootathil was using black money for election purposes. It was also alleged that the Congress leaders did not cooperate with the police.

A team of police officials led by Assistant Superintendent of Police Aswati Jiji started the raids on Tuesday night, which went on till the early hours of Wednesday. While the police said that this was a routine raid as part of the election protocol, Congress leaders questioned why there was no one from the Election Commission. A total of 12 rooms, including those of women leaders Shanimol Usman and Bindu Krishna, were checked. However, police said that no cash was recovered. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, contesting the Lok Sabha bye-election in Wayanad, said that the police knocking on the doors of women Congress leaders’ in the name of search was wrong.

UDF candidate Rahul Mamkoorathil posted a live video at around 2:30 am on Wednesday stating that he was not present at the hotel when the inspection happened. “BJP and CPM supporters were shouting that I was dropped off with a trolley bag with money from the hotel room in Palakkad. There’s no money in my trolley bag, only clothes for two days. I came to Kozhikode to meet Kanthapuram Ustad,” he said.

CCTV footage obtained from the hotel shows Rahul Mamkootathil and his aide Feni Ninan loading the bag into a white Innova car. However, the visual does not show Rahul getting into the car instead shows him being transported in a different car. Defending this, Rahul contended that he got into the car of former Palakkad MLA Shafi Parambil as he wanted to discuss something with him. He said that he proceeded in the car of another Youth Congress worker at KR Tower in Palakkad and showed visuals of the car entering Asma Towers in Kozhikode.

The Congress has accused that this was a smear campaign organised together by the CPI(M) and BJP, with Shafi accusing them of being in an alliance called the Communist Janata Party (CJP). Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan said that the police action was on the behest of Kerala Minister and former Palakkad MP MB Rajesh, who denied any role. BJP has fielded veteran local leader and four-time municipality councillor C Krishnakumar, after metro man E Sreedharan represented them in the 2021 election.

Both Congress party workers and CPI(M) party workers staged demonstrations with similar blue trolley bags, exchanging barbs and ridiculing the allegations. CPI(M) leaders who were also staying at the hotel, such as former journalist Nikesh Kumar, said their rooms were also inspected.

CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan said the developments raised suspicion that the Congress was involved in election-related money laundering, which should be investigated. He even went on to claim that the raids were a drama conducted by Shafi Parambil. “The focus is now on the trolley bag, and not on the point that the vehicle carrying Rahul and the one carrying the trolley bag were separate,” he stated.

The independent candidate for the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF), P Sarin, said that he had been saying that money had started flowing to the Congress, days before this incident. “The question should not be whether there was money in that bag. We have been getting reports that each member was supposed to get Rs 30,000, but are now miffed that they are not getting it. There should be a proper investigation into this,” he told reporters.

A review meeting by CPI(M) had decided to put the issue on the backburner as they think the police action has backfired on them. Former MP NN Krishnadas said that the trolley controversy was unwanted. “Parties should focus on issues affecting the public rather than concentrating on distractions. Police should investigate if money was involved in campaigning,” he stated.