What happened
After polling on April 9 for the Kerala Assembly elections, Central Observer Ranjit Kumar Sinha (2005-batch IAS) issued a directive for the Kaduthuruthy, Vaikom, and Ettumanoor constituencies: seal the strong-room keys and leave them attached to the doors. He described this as 'common practice in states such as West Bengal and Assam.' Kerala follows a dual-lock system where the Returning Officer holds one key and the Assistant Returning Officer the other — meaning the room physically cannot open without both present. Sinha's plan would have replaced this with the equivalent of leaving your house key under the doormat. Kottayam West Police and the Returning Officer challenged the directive. Complaints went to District Collector Chetan Kumar Meena and Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U Kelkar. After discussions, Kerala's system was maintained. Additional plywood and wooden planks were added for reinforcement, because apparently that's what passes for a security upgrade.