Rijiju shares Kapil Sibal's Parliament speech to counter Congress 'vote chori' claims
Synopsis
Kiren Rijiju deployed an unusual weapon against Congress's 'vote chori' campaign: the Opposition party's own former Law Minister. By surfacing Kapil Sibal's archival Parliament speech outlining the legal grounds for voter-name deletions, Rijiju sought to undercut the very premise of the allegations — making a sitting minister's old words the BJP's most pointed rebuttal.
Key Takeaways
Kiren Rijiju shared a video on X on 7 October 2026 featuring former Law Minister Kapil Sibal explaining voter-name deletion rules in Parliament.
Rijiju argued the clip exposes the 'bogus vote chori drama' of the Congress party.
Sibal had outlined three categories for deletion: constituency transfer, name replication, and death of the voter.
Sibal also noted that wrongly deleted voters can approach election officers for re-registration.
The dispute is part of a broader BJP-Congress standoff over Election Commission of India (ECI) transparency and electoral roll integrity.
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday, 7 October 2026, turned the spotlight on Congress over its 'vote chori' allegations by sharing an old Parliament video of senior advocate and former Union Law Minister Kapil Sibal explaining the legal categories under which names are deleted from electoral rolls. Rijiju argued the clip exposes what he called the party's 'bogus vote chori drama.'
The Post and What It Said
Rijiju made the remarks in a post on X, attaching the archival footage of Sibal addressing the House during his tenure as Law Minister. In his post, Rijiju wrote: 'I don't like Kapil Sibal as he is always found to be protecting the corrupt, extremists & anti-social elements. For the first time, I like him because he has exposed the bogus vote chori drama of Congress party through his old speech in Parliament as Law Minister!!'
The minister's tactic of using an Opposition figure's own words against the party is a recurring feature of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) digital communications strategy — one that has grown sharper ahead of state assembly cycles.
What Sibal Had Said in Parliament
In the video, Sibal outlined three specific circumstances under which names can be removed from electoral rolls: when a voter shifts from one Assembly constituency to another; when a name is replicated due to a change of residence; and upon the death of the registered voter.
Sibal had also described the remedy available to those wrongly dropped from rolls. 'Individuals whose names have been wrongly deleted, they can go to the election officer and ask them to register their names,' he stated in the footage.
Rijiju highlighted these remarks to argue that voter-name deletions follow an established legal framework — and that a recourse mechanism already exists — thereby questioning the premise of Congress's allegations.
The Broader Political Context
The exchange fits into a sustained confrontation between the BJP and Congress over the integrity of electoral rolls. The Opposition has pressed the Election Commission of India (ECI) for greater transparency and has alleged that voter deletions disproportionately affect certain communities. The ruling party has consistently dismissed these claims as politically motivated.
Notably, Sibal — who has since parted ways with Congress and is now a Rajya Sabha member — has not publicly responded to Rijiju's post or the use of the archival clip.
What This Means Going Forward
With electoral roll integrity emerging as a recurring flashpoint, the ECI's handling of deletion complaints and the transparency of its procedures are likely to face continued parliamentary and public scrutiny. The debate also underlines the growing role of archival political footage as ammunition in real-time political disputes, a trend expected to intensify ahead of upcoming assembly elections.
Point of View
Which is precisely what Congress and civil society groups have questioned. The BJP's reliance on archival footage, rather than fresh data from the ECI, suggests the ruling party is more comfortable winning the optics battle than engaging with verification demands. Until the ECI publishes granular deletion data by constituency and demographic, both sides are arguing past each other — and voters are left without answers that actually matter.
NationPress
7 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Kiren Rijiju post on X about Kapil Sibal?
Rijiju shared an archival video on 7 October 2026 of Sibal explaining in Parliament — during his tenure as Law Minister — the three legal categories under which names are deleted from electoral rolls, arguing it disproves Congress's 'vote chori' allegations.
What are the three categories under which names are deleted from electoral rolls?
According to Kapil Sibal's Parliament speech, names are deleted when a voter shifts to a different Assembly constituency, when a name is replicated due to a change of residence, or upon the death of the registered voter.
What recourse do voters have if their names are wrongly deleted?
As explained by Sibal in the video, individuals whose names have been wrongly removed can approach the election officer and request re-registration on the electoral rolls.
Why is the Congress raising 'vote chori' allegations?
Congress and other Opposition parties have alleged that voter-name deletions from electoral rolls are disproportionate and lack transparency, and have demanded greater accountability from the Election Commission of India. The BJP has dismissed these claims as politically motivated.
Has Kapil Sibal responded to Rijiju's post?
Sibal, who has since parted ways with Congress and serves as a Rajya Sabha member, had not publicly responded to Rijiju's post or the use of his archival speech as of the time of reporting.
