The Congress leadership in Kerala’s Wayanad district has fiercely rebutted claims by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleging voter registration irregularities in booth No. 41 of the Kalpetta Assembly segment. The BJP had claimed that voters of multiple religions were suspiciously registered under a single house named "Chaunderi" in Priyanka Gandhi’s Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, accusing opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Abhishek Banerjee, and Akhilesh Yadav, of securing victories through "vote chori" (vote theft) in constituencies like Rae Bareli, Diamond Harbour, and Kannauj. The BJP even demanded their resignations as Lok Sabha MPs.

However, Congress leader and Wayanad District Panchayat President Samshad Marakkar clarified that "Chaunderi" or "Chounderi Kunnu" is not the name of a single residence but a well-known place in the region, historically derived from Chamundeswari Kunnu, named after the Hindu deity Chamundeswari. Over time, the name evolved locally to "Chounderi." Many families in the area, including Hindus, Muslims, Christians, and members of Scheduled Castes and Tribes, use "Chounderi" or "Chounderi Kunnu" as their family or house name, Marakkar explained in a detailed Facebook post.

"To assume that people of different religions using the name ‘Chounderi’ live in the same house is absurd and misleading," Marakkar stated, dismissing BJP leader Anurag Thakur’s allegations as a misunderstanding of local naming conventions. He emphasized the cultural diversity of the region, noting that the shared use of the name reflects Wayanad’s inclusive social fabric.

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Local residents and relatives of the voters listed in the electoral roll echoed Marakkar’s explanation, confirming that "Chounderi" refers to a geographic location, not a single household. They criticized the BJP’s claims as an attempt to sensationalize and politicize a non-issue, potentially undermining trust in the electoral process.

The controversy has sparked heated debates on social media, with Congress supporters accusing the BJP of spreading misinformation to discredit opposition victories. Meanwhile, BJP leaders have yet to respond to the Congress’s rebuttal, leaving the issue open to further scrutiny as the 2025 electoral discourse intensifies.

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