New Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal, the National Convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and former Delhi Chief Minister, has accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of conspiring to remove supporters’ names from the electoral rolls ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.
In a press conference, Kejriwal threatened legal action and stated that AAP would formally request the ECI to restore voting rights for affected individuals, asserting that the BJP is attempting to undermine democracy. He claimed that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have informed him that the ECI received lists from the BJP for deleting voter names from every constituency.
Kejriwal specifically mentioned that around 11,000 voters in the Shahdara constituency are facing removal, and he noted the absence of information regarding these deletions on the ECI website. He criticized the ECI for allowing these actions even after the conclusion of a two-month summary revision period that ended on October 18.
He suggested that the BJP’s actions indicate their fear of losing the elections, labeling the party as responsible for turning Delhi into a “Gangster Capital.” Kejriwal also warned BLOs and Assistant Returning Officers (AROs) that they could face consequences for participating in the alleged conspiracy, emphasizing that they would be held accountable for their actions.
The former CM highlighted that the ECI’s credibility is at risk due to the lack of transparency regarding the deletions in Shahdara, a constituency where AAP previously won by a narrow margin of 5,200 votes. He showcased residents from Ambedkar Camp who claimed their names were wrongfully removed from the rolls, alleging that individuals were being questioned about their voting preferences and that those indicating support for AAP had their names struck off.
Kejriwal mentioned similar deletions in other areas, citing numbers from Janakpuri, Sangam Vihar, R K Puram, Palam, and Dwarka. New AAP member Jitendra Singh Shunty pointed out that voter deletions should only occur if a family submits Form 7 to the ECI, not based on a political party’s request.
Raghav Chadha, AAP’s Rajya Sabha MP, claimed that the BJP is attempting to manipulate the election outcome by disproportionately deleting voter names compared to AAP’s previous victory margins. Former Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia criticized the BJP’s tactics as a regression to colonial-era practices.
The elections for a new 70-member Delhi Assembly are scheduled for January-February.