Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal has alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is attempting to manipulate voter rolls in Delhi ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. On Wednesday, Kejriwal claimed the BJP had assigned its seven Members of Parliament (MPs) the task of creating fake votes for the New Delhi assembly constituency.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Kejriwal wrote, “According to sources, the Gaali Galauj Party has given targets to its seven MPs to get fake votes made in the New Delhi Legislative Assembly in the next few days. Let’s see how many applications for making new votes come in the next few days. Everyone should keep an eye on this. Atishi ji has sought time to meet the chief election commissioner. We hope we will get time soon.”
Atishi to Meet Chief Election Commissioner
Kejriwal also mentioned that Delhi Chief Minister Atishi had sought an appointment with the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) to raise concerns about his allegations. The AAP leader urged citizens to remain vigilant and monitor voter roll updates closely in the days leading up to the elections.
Election Commission Denies Allegations
Responding to these claims, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar dismissed allegations of voter roll tampering during a press briefing on Tuesday. He emphasized the transparency and robustness of the electoral process.
“Indian voters are extremely aware. Stories are going around regarding electoral rolls, even now. Almost 70 steps are there…in which political parties and candidates remain with us. All the claims and objections that come up are shared with all the political parties. No deletion can be done without Form 7,” Kumar stated.
EVM Rigging Claims Also Rejected
Addressing concerns about Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) reliability, the Chief Election Commissioner reiterated that EVMs are secure and immune to tampering. “There is no evidence of unreliability or any drawback in the EVMs… There is no question of introducing a virus or bug in the EVM. There is no question of invalid votes in the EVM. No rigging is possible. High Courts and the Supreme Court are continuously saying this in different judgments… What else can be said? EVMs are foolproof devices for counting. Allegations of tempering are baseless,” Kumar said.
He further argued that reverting to paper ballots would be a “regressive” move, stressing that the EVM system is designed to maintain the integrity of elections.
Previous Allegations of Voter Deletion
This isn’t the first time Kejriwal has accused the BJP of voter roll manipulation. Earlier this month, he alleged that the party was attempting to delete voters’ names in the New Delhi assembly constituency. The claims have added tension as Kejriwal prepares to face BJP candidate Parvesh Verma in the high-stakes constituency.
Key Dates for the Delhi Elections
The Delhi assembly elections will take place in a single phase on February 5, with vote counting scheduled for February 8. Both parties have intensified their campaigns, with allegations and counterclaims dominating the political landscape as the election date approaches.
