New delhi: Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva, along with Member of Parliament Bansuri Swaraj and senior leader Om Pathak, met with the Election Commission to present evidence of alleged efforts by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to influence the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections.
The BJP leaders raised concerns about potential voter manipulation, including attempts to suppress the votes of poor labourers and residents from the Purvanchal region.
In a press briefing following the meeting, Sachdeva accused the AAP of orchestrating a campaign to incite religious tensions and alter the voter base. “We have submitted documents that show AAP’s efforts to manipulate Delhi’s mandate by targeting the votes of marginalised communities and labourers,” Sachdeva said.
One of the primary allegations involved a sharp spike in new voter registrations between December 23, when the voter list was officially frozen, and January 6. In this short 12-day period, over 5.01 lakh new voter applications were reportedly submitted. Sachdeva pointed out that several of the applicants were elderly, with some individuals in their 70s and 80s. He called for a thorough investigation into the origins of these applications.
Further highlighting discrepancies, Sachdeva raised concerns about 60 registered votes near the Valmiki Temple on Mandir Marg in New Delhi, allegedly linked to a Dargah. Additionally, 250 votes were reportedly registered under a shelter home, a situation that the BJP has asked the Election Commission to scrutinise.
The BJP delegation also flagged what they described as AAP’s targeting of employees residing in government quarters, filing requests to delete their votes. Sachdeva demanded that the Election Commission investigate these allegations and take appropriate action against anyone threatening Purvanchali or Valmiki community members.
The BJP president criticised Arvind Kejriwal for what he called selective tolerance regarding voter registration, suggesting that Kejriwal supported certain votes while opposing others. “Kejriwal is fine with creating votes for his own benefit, but has a problem when Purvanchali or Valmiki community members register,” Sachdeva said.
The BJP has called for a full inquiry into these allegations and the integrity of the electoral process in Delhi.