Delhi Court Dismisses Plea Challenging Sonia Gandhi’s Voter Registration Before Citizenship

Sonia Gandhi received a major legal relief on Thursday when a Delhi court dismissed a plea alleging that her name was included in the voter list in 1980, three years before she obtained Indian citizenship. The plea was filed by Vikas Tripathi, who contended that Gandhi's name was wrongly added to the New Delhi constituency voter list in January 1980, despite her not being an Indian citizen at the time.

Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Vaibhav Chaurasia dismissed the petition, providing relief to the Congress leader, who has long faced scrutiny over her citizenship and political eligibility. The court had reserved its verdict on Wednesday after hearing arguments from both sides.

Senior advocate Pavan Narang represented the petitioner Tripathi in court. During the proceedings, he argued that one must first satisfy the criteria for citizenship before being eligible to register as a resident in a constituency. "First, you have to satisfy the threshold of citizenship, then you will become a resident of an area," Narang told the court, as reported by PTI.

The plea had gained attention amid past debates questioning the registration of foreign-born individuals in India's electoral rolls. However, the court's decision firmly rejected these allegations, affirming that there was no legal basis to claim that Sonia Gandhi was improperly included in the voter list.

The dismissal ensures that Gandhi's electoral status and political eligibility remain intact, providing her relief from legal scrutiny regarding this matter. It also underscores the judiciary's role in carefully examining allegations related to electoral processes and citizenship, particularly involving high-profile political figures.

This verdict comes at a time when electoral integrity and citizenship criteria are under heightened public and political discussion, highlighting the importance of clear legal thresholds in voter registration.