Congress alleges BJP, ECI targeting poor, migrants in Delhi’s voter roll revision
New Delhi: The Delhi Congress has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of misusing constitutional institutions, including the Election Commission of India (ECI), to suppress the voting rights of the poor, daily wage labourers, and slum dwellers ahead of upcoming elections.
Speaking to The Sunday Guardian, Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav alleged that the BJP-led central government is manipulating electoral processes to serve political interests and further a divisive agenda. He claimed that under the guise of a “special intensive revision” of the electoral rolls, the BJP is attempting to instill fear among Delhi’s most vulnerable populations and restrict their democratic participation.
Yadav cited a similar voter list revision exercise in Bihar that triggered controversy and argued that the same model is now being deployed in Delhi. He questioned the rationale behind setting March 2008 as the cut-off date for inclusion in the revised rolls.
“According to current rules, anyone who has lived at an address for six months is eligible to vote. So what happens to those in night shelters, or people who survive by begging? This process could deny them their fundamental right,” he said.
Yadav also raised concerns over the mandatory linking of Aadhaar with voter IDs, pointing to inconsistencies in its implementation. “If Aadhaar is compulsory for new voter registration, why isn’t it accepted as valid identity proof after the linking is done?” he asked.
He further warned of broader implications, saying that being listed on the electoral roll has never constituted proof of Indian citizenship. With Aadhaar-voter ID linking now mandatory, he questioned what the final benchmark for citizenship would be under BJP rule. “Will a voter be considered a citizen or not under this new system?” he asked.
Doubting the feasibility of a large-scale door-to-door verification exercise, Yadav criticised the ECI’s ability to implement the revision effectively. “If the Election Commission hasn’t yet identified duplicate voters registered in multiple places, how can it carry out household verification in August? Genuine voters are already being arbitrarily removed from rolls every year,” he said.
Yadav also accused the BJP of preparing to disenfranchise migrant workers who have made Delhi their home over the years. “After destroying slums and pushing out street vendors, is the BJP now targeting migrant labourers? The March 2008 cut-off could affect almost half of Delhi’s population,” he warned.
He pointed out that Delhi’s population has more than doubled since 2008, from 1.64 crore to nearly 3.59 crore today. “Who will speak for these people if their names are struck off the rolls?” he asked, demanding accountability from Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and the BJP led Centre.
The Delhi Congress vowed to continue its opposition to what it calls an “unconstitutional and undemocratic attempt” to manipulate electoral rolls and silence Delhi’s underprivileged citizens.
