Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Harsh Malhotra on Friday, 18 July 2025, welcomed the Election Commission of India's (ECI) decision to extend the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) deadline for electoral rolls in the capital, while accusing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress of running a deliberate misinformation campaign targeting the Purvanchal community over alleged voter deletions.

BJP's Stand on the SIR Extension

Malhotra said the extended SIR timeline would allow Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to conduct the electoral roll revision with complete transparency. He outlined two stated objectives of the SIR: ensuring no foreign national is enrolled as an Indian voter, and ensuring every Indian citizen is registered at only one location. He urged Delhi residents to approach government BLOs or the BJP's BLA-2 representatives and BJP Purvanchal Morcha workers across various districts for assistance with valid voter registration.

Attack on AAP and Congress

The Delhi BJP chief described it as 'unfortunate' that AAP leaders were allegedly inciting the Purvanchal community — migrants from eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and other states who have settled in Delhi — as well as economically weaker sections residing in slum clusters, against the BJP. Malhotra argued that these communities have 'consistently elected BJP governments in their home states,' making the opposition's outreach contradictory.

He alleged that while AAP leaders have raised the SIR issue in the name of the Purvanchal community, their 'real objective' is to protect what he described as Bangladeshi and Rohingya voters — a charged claim that AAP and Congress have not been reported to have responded to at the time of publication.

Assurance to Delhi Voters

Malhotra gave a direct assurance to Delhi residents, stating that 'no one can delete the vote of any Delhi resident registered only in Delhi,' and that the BJP would not allow such action. He appealed to citizens not to fall prey to what he characterised as misinformation being spread by AAP and Congress leaders.

Context and Political Stakes

The SIR of electoral rolls has become a flashpoint in Delhi politics, with opposition parties claiming that the revision process risks disenfranchising genuine voters, particularly from migrant communities. The ECI's decision to extend the deadline has given all stakeholders additional time to raise or resolve objections. This comes amid a broader national debate over voter roll accuracy and the inclusion or exclusion of undocumented residents. For the BJP, which swept Delhi in the 2025 assembly elections ending AAP's decade-long hold on the capital, maintaining Purvanchal voter confidence is a key political priority heading into future electoral cycles.