Kejriwal Questions ECI’s Credibility, Accuses BJP of Manipulating Delhi Voter Lists

New Delhi, Dec 6 (NationPress) Accusing a conspiracy involving the Election Commission of India and the BJP, AAP National Convenor and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal claimed on Friday that there has been a widespread removal of names belonging to his party’s supporters from the voter lists ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.

During a press briefing, the former CM warned of pursuing legal action and intends to formally address the ECI to restore the fundamental voting rights of citizens and counter the BJP's alleged malicious plans.

“We have received information from Booth Level Officers (BLOs) indicating that the EC has supplied them with lists prepared by the BJP for the removal of names from electoral rolls in various constituencies,” stated Kejriwal, asserting that a BJP insider had informed him about these irregularities.

“There is a danger to democracy. A voter possesses the right to vote and select a government of their choosing, as enshrined by B.R. Ambedkar, yet the EC is carelessly removing voters' names based on requests submitted by the BJP,” he continued, revealing that approximately 11,000 voters in the Shahdara constituency were being struck off without any transparency on the ECI’s website.

The AAP leader accused the unlawful removal of names from the electoral rolls of continuing despite the conclusion of a two-month summary revision exercise by the ECI, which ended on October 18.

“This misconduct is a clear sign of the BJP anticipating defeat prior to the election. The BJP has transformed the city into a ‘Gangster Capital’ and the populace is weary of this party. The BJP is intimidated by voters eager to defeat it and impart a lesson,” Kejriwal stated.

He cautioned Booth Level Officers and Assistant Returning Officers against participating in the ECI-BJP conspiracy regarding the illegal removal of voters' names, saying, “I urge BLOs and AROs to recognize that you will face consequences because you are the final signing authorities. Governments may change, but it is the officials who sign the documents that will be held accountable.”

Kejriwal warned that the AAP would pursue action against purportedly corrupt BLOs and AROs under the provisions of the Representation of Peoples Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

He asserted that the reputation of the ECI is on the line as it has failed to publish details about the removal of 11,000 voter names from the electoral list in Shahdara, where the AAP won the last election by a margin of 5,200 votes.

The former CM also showcased residents from Ambedkar Camp in Shahdara who alleged that their names had been illicitly removed from the voter lists. Kejriwal claimed that individuals are visiting slums to inquire about voters' preferred parties. “If a voter states AAP, their name is removed from the electoral list,” he claimed.

The AAP convener alleged that similar removals were occurring in other constituencies as well. He noted that in Janakpuri, 6,247 names had been deleted; in Sangam Vihar, 5,862; R K Puram, 4,285; Palam, 4,031; and in Dwarka, 4,013 names had been removed.

New AAP member Jitendra Singh Shunty, who is expected to contest from Shahdara, claimed that a voter’s name can only be deleted if they or their family files Form 7 with the ECI and not based on a request made by any political party.

“By eliminating names from the rolls, they aim to deprive individuals of the benefits of basic welfare schemes,” he alleged.

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha also claimed, “The BJP has already conceded defeat and does not desire a fair election.”

He alleged that the BJP is implementing a strategy where the number of deleted voter names is supposed to be two or three times greater than the AAP’s victory margin in each constituency from the last election.

Former Delhi Education Minister Manish Sisodia stated that the BJP's scheme to strip residents of their voting rights is regressing the nation back to colonial times.

New elections for a 70-member Delhi Assembly are slated for January-February.