Kejriwal Accuses BJP of Manipulating Delhi Voter Rolls Ahead of Elections
Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal accuses BJP of manipulating voter rolls ahead of the upcoming assembly elections, alleging attempts to alter the electoral outcome. He calls for strict Election Commission monitoring.
New Delhi: In a press conference held on December 29, 2024, AAP Chief Arvind Kejriwal, alongside Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha and Delhi Minister Atishi, accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of attempting to manipulate the voter list in the lead-up to the Delhi Assembly elections.
Kejriwal claimed that the BJP, after failing to present strong candidates or relevant issues, was resorting to unfair tactics to influence the electoral process.
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Allegations of Voter Manipulation by BJP
Kejriwal asserted that the BJP had already “lost” the upcoming elections due to the absence of a clear chief ministerial candidate and inadequate party representatives. He further accused the BJP of attempting to manipulate the voter rolls in a bid to gain an unfair advantage in the election.
The AAP leader revealed that the BJP had reportedly filed 11,000 applications for the deletion of voters in a single constituency, a move which was subsequently halted by the intervention of the Chief Election Commissioner.
Kejriwal also outlined what he called “Operation Lotus,” a large-scale operation initiated on December 15, involving 5,000 voter deletions and 7,500 new additions to the voter rolls in the New Delhi Assembly constituency.
He claimed that this manipulation could potentially alter 12% of the vote share in the constituency. According to Kejriwal, the total number of voters in the constituency was 106,873 as of the last voter list update on October 29, 2024, following the summary revision conducted earlier that year.
Call for Strict Monitoring from the Election Commission
Kejriwal emphasized that such actions were an attack on democracy, urging the Election Commission to continue its strict oversight to prevent further electoral manipulation. “This kind of manipulation undermines democracy,” he said, highlighting the importance of transparency and fairness in the electoral process.
While the AAP chief’s claims have sparked significant controversy, the BJP has yet to issue an official response to the allegations.
Kejriwal’s Assertion on BJP’s Election Strategy
Kejriwal’s accusations come as part of his ongoing criticism of the BJP, which he alleges has resorted to “manipulation” rather than engaging with the electorate through transparent campaigning. His claims of electoral manipulation by the BJP follow similar allegations raised in past elections, adding to the political tensions as Delhi approaches its upcoming assembly elections.
This accusation by Kejriwal continues the ongoing political discourse in Delhi, where party rivalry and claims of electoral malpractice remain heated. With the electoral process under scrutiny, the role of the Election Commission in ensuring free and fair elections has never been more pivotal.
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As Delhi heads into the 2025 Assembly elections, these allegations underscore the increasing importance of safeguarding electoral integrity and transparency.
