Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Aug 13: BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya has accused Congress leader Sonia Gandhi of being listed as a registered voter in India before she had officially acquired Indian citizenship, calling it a serious violation of electoral law.

The claim, made in a post on X (formerly Twitter), came amid the Congress party’s criticism of alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls currently underway in Bihar. Congress has questioned the transparency and intent behind the ongoing voter roll updates, prompting a sharp counterattack from the BJP.

Malviya alleged that Sonia Gandhi was listed on India’s electoral rolls as early as 1980, despite still being an Italian citizen at the time. He stated that her name appeared during the electoral roll revision for the New Delhi parliamentary constituency, which had January 1, 1980, as the qualifying date. According to Malviya, she was listed at serial number 388 in polling station 145, tied to 1, Safdarjung Road — the then official residence of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

“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 SIR,” Malviya posted.

Malviya said that Sonia Gandhi’s name was deleted in 1982 after public criticism, but resurfaced in 1983, once again allegedly in violation of electoral norms. The second instance, he claimed, occurred when the rolls were revised with January 1, 1983 as the qualifying date. Sonia Gandhi was granted Indian citizenship only on April 30, 1983, yet she was reportedly listed again as a voter prior to that, under serial number 236 in polling station 140.

“In other words, Sonia Gandhi’s name entered the electoral rolls twice without meeting the basic citizenship requirement — first in 1980 as an Italian citizen, and then again in 1983, months before she legally became a citizen of India,” Malviya said.

He also questioned the delay in her acquiring Indian citizenship, noting it came 15 years after her marriage to Rajiv Gandhi.

“If this isn’t blatant electoral malpractice, what is?” Malviya asked, sharing what he claimed was an extract from the 1980 electoral rolls as evidence.

As of now, there has been no official response from the Congress party regarding Malviya’s claims. However, the controversy is likely to fuel further political sparring, especially in the run-up to upcoming state elections and with national electoral reforms under scrutiny.

The allegations, if proven true, raise legal and ethical questions about historical compliance with voter registration laws — which strictly require Indian citizenship for inclusion on electoral rolls.