BJP Moves Irregularities In Voter List, EC Seeks Report From Delhi CEO

The Election Commission (EC) has reiterated its instructions to the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to verify all deletions in polling stations where more than 2% of electors have been removed from the voters' list. This action follows complaints from both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) regarding the ongoing special summary revision of electoral rolls, Indian Express reported.

On December 6, Arvind Kejriwal, former chief minister and AAP national convener, accused the BJP of attempting to remove voters from areas that are AAP strongholds. The AAP also submitted a memorandum alleging mass deletion of applications by BJP workers. The EC's instructions came shortly after these allegations were made.

Concerns Over Voter Deletions

The EC has instructed that any elector from the same Assembly constituency can object if a voter has permanently moved or passed away. The CEO must also review cases where one person is listed as an "objector" in more than five instances. These measures aim to ensure fairness and accuracy in voter lists.

On Friday, a delegation led by Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva filed a complaint with the EC. They alleged that there are "lakhs of illegal infiltrators of Rohingya and Bangladeshi origin," along with "duplicate voters" and "thousands of dead persons" on voter lists. The delegation included Union Minister of State Harsh Malhotra and New Delhi MP Bansuri Swaraj.

BJP's Allegations

Sachdeva urged the EC to initiate campaigns against illegal voter enrolment and warned about bogus voters through radio and print media. In a statement, the BJP claimed that their block-level officers were not removing deceased voters despite evidence. Malhotra stated, "The government of Delhi is creating the false narrative that BJP is objecting to voters of Indian origin in the voter list but the truth is that BJP is objecting to infiltrators and bogus voters."

The EC emphasized that issues raised by both parties regarding illegal or temporary migrants, ghost voters, and mass deletions without proper inquiry must be examined carefully. Necessary actions should follow statutory provisions and guidelines outlined in the manual of electoral rolls.

In her legal submission, Bansuri Swaraj presented pages from voter lists allegedly showing duplicate entries. The BJP urged for stricter scrutiny to maintain integrity in electoral processes.