Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of shoving innumerable deletions of names from the voter lists in the capital.
According to Kejriwal, the BJP filed several applications with the Election Commission to delete names from the election roll, especially those belonging to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), to favor the 2024 elections.
Key Allegations
Kejriwal alleged that within five years, nearly three million names had been impermissibly deleted from certain votes in certain areas. These are areas where AAP has a strong voter base. According to him, this is a direct misuse of the governmental apparatus, promising democratic rights.
“Deleting names from electoral rolls will be an outright attack on democracy,” Kejriwal said while addressing reporters and added that AAP would even go the whole hog to take it to court.
BJP’s Objection
The BJP dismissed the allegations as baseless and politically motivated. A party representative explained that the deletions of names were based on the Election Commission’s guidelines to remove duplicate and ineligible entries. The party accused Kejriwal of hiding behind likes to distract attention from AAP’s due governance in Delhi.
Complications arise before the 2024 general elections, where Delhi’s vote is expected to play an important role. Allegations of name deletion from electoral processes raise questions about their fairness, bringing both the Election Commission and the concerned parties under watchdog scrutiny.
The allegations have generated massive public interest, receiving criticism and support from various quarters. Civic groups and electoral watchdogs are calling for a thorough investigation to preserve the sanctity of the electoral rolls in Delhi.
“The right to vote is a foundation of a democracy, and any attempt to undermine it must be taken most seriously,” as one of the Delhi-based advocacy groups stated.
Political analysts feel such allegations might polarize the voters more in an already high-stakes election year. While they claim such allegations, have enabled AAP to consolidate its base as a protector of democratic principles against authoritarian means, BJP leaders, on the other hand, have used this to intensify their attacks on AAP further, alleging that the latter is trying to distract from its administrative failures in Delhi.
Role of the Election Commission
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has not officially stated this. However, ECI sources indicated that normal processes for electoral roll updates, such as public notifications and allowing voters to appeal if removed, are being followed. The Commission will likely feel increasing pressure to deal with the allegations transparently to uphold faith in the election process.
