New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Atishi alleged on Tuesday that the BJP-led central government is attempting to manipulate the electoral process by getting names of AAP supporters deleted from electoral rolls as the saffron party fears defeat in the upcoming Delhi Assembly polls.
Dismissing the allegations, the BJP said the Aam Aadmi Party like its other INDIA bloc partners is resorting to such "rhetoric" due to its impending electoral loss and its ouster from Delhi is certain. Atishi also wrote to Chief Secretary Dharmendra, seeking an inquiry and action against a district magistrate and a sub-divisional magistrate who she alleged were involved in deleting voters' names from the electoral rolls.
"I have been reliably informed that some officers of the revenue department who are in charge of conducting and ensuring free and fair elections are, instead, vitiating elections by large-scale deletion of voters and trying to reduce the registration of new voters," the letter stated.
The chief secretary, who is also the chief vigilance officer, is directed to conduct an inquiry into the possibility of large-scale electoral roll manipulation being done by the officers and take action if found guilty, the chief minister said in the letter. The Delhi Assembly polls are due in February.
Addressing a press conference at the AAP office, Atishi claimed, "The central government is trying to win the Delhi elections by unfair means. They are orchestrating the deletion of voters from the electoral roll, particularly those aligned with AAP." Hitting back at the Aam Aadmi Party, the BJP said it is regrettable the AAP, fearing a loss in the assembly elections, has begun echoing the rhetoric of other INDIA bloc partners.
"After BJP’s resounding victories in Haryana and Maharashtra, and in byelections in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Rajasthan, opposition parties like AAP are now questioning the electoral process and the impartiality of the Election Commission to distract the public from their impending defeat," the BJP said in a statement. No matter how much political noise AAP leaders make, their departure from Delhi is certain in February 2025, the party said.
Chief Minister Atishi cited an October 28 order by the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi transferring 29 SDMs and ADMs as the first step in the alleged conspiracy to tamper with electoral rolls. She also claimed that a district magistrate overseeing seven assembly constituencies had instructed officials to remove 20,000 voters from the rolls.
Appealing to booth-level officers to resist such actions, she urged them to document any undue pressure or coercion. "If someone tries to force you into cutting voters’ names, record it and send it to me. I will ensure action is taken. The Constitution of India is in your hands today," she said.
With Delhi elections slated for February 2025, AAP is vying for a third consecutive term following its resounding 2020 victory, where it bagged 62 of 70 seats. The BJP on the other hand is aiming for a comeback in Delhi after 25 years.
