AAP warns officials against voter names deletions
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has filed a complaint with Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) across all 70 Assembly constituencies in Delhi, alleging that attempts were being made for "secret" deletion of voter names from the electoral rolls at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
AAP National Secretary Pankaj Gupta has written to the EROs, warning that legal action would be taken under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) 2023 and the Representation of the People Act 1950 if any voter names are wrongfully deleted.
Gupta emphasised that the Election Commission of India's (ECI) Manual on Electoral Rolls prohibits any individual or organisation from submitting bulk applications for the deletion of voter names. He called for an immediate halt to any further voter deletions in Delhi to protect the integrity of the electoral process.
“Bulk deletion of voters, against the spirit of free and fair elections, would undermine the Summary Revision process of the Election Commission itself,” Gupta stated.
In a strongly worded letter to the EROs of all 70 constituencies, AAP alleged a "pattern of bulk voter deletion" applications allegedly submitted by the BJP across Delhi.
The party expressed concern over the processing of these applications by EROs without uploading them on the website, a mandatory requirement under the Election Commission's guidelines.
AAP cited the example of Shahdara Assembly Constituency (AC-62) where it claimed more than 11,000 voter names have been targeted for deletion in the past six weeks under claims of shifted residences, duplications, or deaths.
“It has come to our knowledge that in Shahdara Assembly Constituency (AC No. 62), BJP has submitted applications for the deletion of over 11,000 existing voters in the last six weeks on the premise that the voters have shifted, deceased, or there is duplication,” the letter stated.
"In case the Election Commission deems it necessary to delete any voter, we demand that this be done through a ground verification exercise by the concerned BLO (Booth Level Officer) in the presence of our BLA-2 to ensure genuine voters are not wrongfully removed from the voter list," it added/
The party claimed that the concerned ERO has issued orders for the mass deletion of voters based on BJP's applications, but these lists have not been uploaded on the website. AAP alleged that these applications were being processed "surreptitiously".
"AAP is taking appropriate legal action against the errant officials of the Election Commission and the officials of the BJP in Shahdara,” the letter reads.There was no immediate reaction from the BJP to the allegations.
Last week, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva dismissed similar allegations by AAP as “baseless” and accused Arvind Kejriwal-led party of shielding fraudulent voters.
“Rohingyas and Bangladeshis are being caught, and Kejriwal is panicking because this vote bank, funded by money he allegedly receives from foreign sources, is being exposed,” Sachdeva had said.
The Delhi Assembly elections are scheduled for February. AAP is seeking a third consecutive term after securing a landslide victory in 2020, winning 62 out of 70 seats.
