Analysts say the fact that BJP went to the extent of “digging” documents so far back indicates that the opposition ‘vote chori’ campaign is creating traction and ripples at the ground level. Sonia Gandhi’s name entered the electoral rolls twice without meeting the basic citizenship requirement, first as an Italian citizen in 1980, and then again in 1983, months before she legally became a citizen of India, claims BJP
Accused of ‘colluding’ with the Election Commission for ‘vote chori’ by opposition, the BJP today retaliated with a fierce attack against senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, accusing her of illegally being added to the voter list before she became an Indian citizen.
Former Union minister Anurag Thakur claimed Gandhi ( born Sonia Maino in Italy in 1946) was added to the list from 1980 to 1982, a year before she was an Indian citizen.
Thakur’s allegations followed BJP IT cell in charge Amit Malviya’s detailed post on X earlier.
“Her(Sonia) name first appeared on the rolls in 1980, three years before she became an Indian citizen and while she still held Italian citizenship,
Malviya, questioning “If this isn’t blatant electoral malpractice, what is?”
“Sonia Gandhi’s tryst with India’s voters’ list is riddled with glaring violations of electoral law. This perhaps explains Rahul Gandhi’s fondness for regularising ineligible and illegal voters, and his opposition to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
“Her name first appeared on the rolls in 1980 — three years before she became an Indian citizen and while she still held Italian citizenship. At the time, the Gandhi family lived at 1, Safdarjung Road, the official residence of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Until then, the voters registered at that address were Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Sanjay Gandhi, and Maneka Gandhi. In 1980, the electoral rolls of the New Delhi parliamentary constituency were revised with January 1, 1980, as the qualifying date. During this revision, Sonia Gandhi’s name was added, appearing at serial number 388 in polling station 145.
“This entry was a clear violation of the law, which requires a person to be an Indian citizen to be registered as a voter. Following an outcry in 1982, her name was deleted from the list — only to reappear in 1983.
“But even her reinstatement raised serious questions. In the fresh revision of the electoral rolls that year, Sonia Gandhi was listed at serial number 236 in polling station 140. The qualifying date for registration was January 1, 1983 — yet she was granted Indian citizenship only on April 30, 1983.
‘In other words, Sonia Gandhi’s name entered the electoral rolls twice without meeting the basic citizenship requirement — first as an Italian citizen in 1980, and then again in 1983, months before she legally became a citizen of India. We are not even asking why it took her 15 years after marrying Rajiv Gandhi to accept Indian citizenship.
“If this isn’t blatant electoral malpractice, what is?, ” he said
Is BJP worried?
From taking out protest marches to the office of the Election Commission of India to protests in Parliament, Congress has effectively used the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the poll-bound state into an issue to galvanise the INDIA bloc which fell silent after the Lok Sabha elections last year.
Led by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, a united Opposition has been criticising the EC initiative as “vote-chori” (vote theft) by the government designed to cause large-scale disenfranchisement.
Analysts say the fact that BJP went to the extent of “digging” documents so far back indicates that the opposition ‘vote chori’ campaign is creating traction and ripples at the ground level
