New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has approved the transfer of AAP leader Awadh Ojha's name from the voter rolls in Greater Noida to Delhi, enabling him to file his nomination from Patparganj seat, party chief Arvind Kejriwal said on Monday.
The development came after a delegation of AAP, led by Kejriwal, met ECI officials to address the issue. "The good news is that Awadh Ojha's vote will be shifted, and the commission has issued an order to transfer his vote. He will be able to file the nomination," Kejriwal said.
Earlier in the day, Kejriwal alleged irregularities in the electoral process, claiming that Ojha had filed Form 8 to transfer his vote on January 7, the official deadline. He also accused the Delhi chief electoral officer of unlawfully advancing the deadline to January 6.
Kejriwal said the move was an attempt to "deliberately debar" Ojha from contesting the February 5 Delhi Assembly elections, saying it was against the law.
The former Delhi chief minister also made serious accusations against the BJP's candidate from the New Delhi constituency, Parvesh Verma, alleging distribution of cash, jackets, and other items such as bedsheets, shoes, and glasses to sway voters.
He further alleged that local authorities, including the district magistrate, were complicit in covering up these actions.
"Blankets were distributed in Kidwai Nagar, shoes were distributed in another colony, jackets, cash and glasses are also being handed out. But the local DM's report states that no such activity is happening," he claimed.
Responding to the allegations, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said that Kejriwal, out of desperation over a "certain defeat" of the AAP, has now started "maligning" the poll authorities.
On the Ojha's vote transfer issue, Sachdeva said, "I have a simple question for Arvind Kejriwal. When Awadh Ojha joined the AAP on December 2 and it was decided that he would contest the elections, why did they wait till the last date of the vote transfer process?" Kejriwal is himself facing a massive defeat in the New Delhi assembly constituency, and the AAP convener has a habit of levelling allegations over the election machinery before the elections, Sachdeva added.
Meanwhile, the AAP chief reiterated claims of alleged manipulation in the electoral roll of the New Delhi constituency from where he is seeking reelection.
Responding to the claims, New Delhi District Election Officer (DEO) said in a post on X, "Submission of applications for addition and deletion of electors in the electoral roll does not automatically result in the addition or deletion of names. Each application under Form 6 (for addition) and Form 7 (for deletion) is carefully scrutinised and disposed of in strict compliance with the norms prescribed by the ECI." Responding to the claims of distribution of items in the constituency, the DEO said, "The allegations regarding the distribution of items such as bed sheets, shoes, spectacles, and jackets in broad daylight lack specificity. No credible evidence, such as pictorial proof or witness testimony, has been provided to substantiate these claims." "It is worth noting that the police and Flying Squad Team of the election machinery are actively monitoring the situation 24x7 and verifying all complaints on the ground. Moreover, police complaints are filed wherever violations are detected," the DEO said.
Citizens are also encouraged to report any violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) through the cVigil app, the DEO added.
The AAP chief also claimed that the Election Commission had assured him of appropriate action against the New Delhi DM following these complaints.
"The Election Commission has assured us that all these activities will be stopped. We thank the Election Commission for their prompt response and assurance," he said.
Kejriwal further said that the party has once again requested the suspension of the DM and strict action against him, along with the cessation of all these illegal activities.
The political battle between the AAP and the BJP is intensifying, and both parties are trading allegations, with assembly polls in Delhi just weeks away. PTI MHS KVK KVK
