AAP, BJP tussle intensifies over ‘voter list manipulation’ in Delhi

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday accused central government ministers and MPs of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) residing in Lutyens Delhi of conspiring to register fake voters ahead of the Delhi assembly elections. AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal wrote to the chief election commissioner (CEC) on Saturday saying that the BJP’s central ministers and leaders are getting fake votes registered at their home addresses, and demanded that a first information report should be filed against the BJP leaders involved.

Hitting back, the BJP said that the AAP’s claims were baseless.

Poll officials of the New Delhi assembly segment, of which Lutyens Delhi is a part, have previously dismissed the claims of both the AAP and the BJP alleging manipulation of voter records, saying that “mere filling of form 7 and form 6 doesn’t amount to addition or deletion of names from the electoral roll”.

In his complaint to the CEC, Kejriwal demanded an immediate halt to the suspicious voter transfers and an investigation into the alleged involvement of BJP MPs and ministers whose house addresses are being misused for this malpractice and register a criminal FIR against those responsible. HT has seen the complaint.

“It appears that several Union and Cabinet ministers are involved in this malpractice. I urge the Election Commission to immediately register a criminal FIR against those responsible and take strict action to prevent such blatant attempts at subverting the democratic process. It is inconceivable how such a high number of voters could have suddenly applied to be transferred to these properties without planning by the highest levels of BJP leadership. This pattern points to a deliberate attempt to alter the electoral rolls in favor of BJP candidates,” Kejriwal said in the letter to the CEC.

Earlier in the day, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said that more than 40 requests for new voter registrations have been made using the addresses of BJP ministers and MPs in Lutyens Delhi in the last 15 days to defraud the electorate.

Kejriwal and Singh’s claims mark the latest chapter in the AAP and the BJP’s war of words over alleged addition and deletion of names of voters from the electoral roll to improve their chances in the polls. Each party has dismissed the other’s accusations.

“From addresses with merely two to five registered voters during the last Lok Sabha elections, now applications for up to 44 fake voters have been made in New Delhi. It raises alarming questions about the BJP’s unethical tactics. This fraud involves central ministers of the Union government, MPs, and other influential figures whose names are shocking,” Singh said in a press conference at the AAP headquarters.

“This clearly points to fraud. This is a massive electoral scam taking place on an unprecedented scale. We have been raising this issue with the Election Commission for a long time repeatedly urging them to take action. While some action has been taken, it is shocking that such fraudulent activities are happening right under the nose of the Central Election Commission’s office in the New Delhi Assembly area,” Singh added.

In response to Kejriwal and Singh’s claims, BJP leader Parvesh Verma said: “Kejriwal is scared. The fear of losing has gripped him. That’s why he is now using the voter list issue as an excuse. Soon, he will start blaming EVMs for his defeat. It is clear that Kejriwal is aware of his declining popularity. His hold over the voters in this area has weakened, and to divert attention, he is making baseless accusations. The people of New Delhi are smart and will not be misled by such claims. This election is about development and trust. The people will reject Kejriwal’s excuses and stand with the truth.”

“Every morning, Arvind Kejriwal wakes up and holds 5-6 press conferences. He writes letters daily about discrepancies in the voter list but never presents any evidence. The truth is, Kejriwal knows he is losing from New Delhi, and after the voter list, he will start raising questions about EVMs,” he added.