BJP Goes To Poll Panel Over AAP Allegations On Deletion Of Voters' Names

Under sustained attack from the Aam Aadmi party (AAP) over alleged illegal deletion of 30 lakh voters' names in New Delhi, the BJP today knocked at the door of the Election Commission seeking action against Delhi's ruling party for levelling "unfounded allegations" with the aim to dent the faith of people in the poll panel.

A delegation of the BJP's Delhi unit, headed by its president Manoj Tiwari, demanded the commission de-recognise the Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) for carrying out "baseless and scurrilous propaganda" against it.

"It is being portrayed as if the Election Commission is under the clutches of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP)," according to a memorandum submitted by the delegation.

Mr Tiwari said the Chief Election Commissioner has assured appropriate action in the matter, and added his party might approach the high court against the AAP's "propaganda".

AAP leaders, including party head and chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, have alleged the names of about 30 lakh voters, especially Purvanchali, Muslim and Bania community members, were deleted from the electoral roll by the EC, at the behest of the BJP, since the 2015 Assembly election in Delhi.

The final electoral roll was published last week.

"We have submitted a complaint against the AAP for dividing the people of Delhi on caste lines, spreading misinformation about deletion of votes and blaming the BJP for it, and issuing of objectionable comments against the Election Commission by Kejriwal and his party leaders," Mr Tiwari said.

In the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections, the AAP is "desperate" and making "unfounded allegations" with respect to independence of the Election Commission which has "severely maligned" its image, said the party memorandum.

Last week, AAP leader Raghav Chadha claimed that party's stand was vindicated as the latest electoral rolls showed a drop of 1.2 lakh votes in Delhi in one year.

"BJP in collusion with officers from the Election Commission has orchestrated wrongful deletion of 30 lakh voters from Delhi and now their scandal is reflecting in the official Election Commission data," he had alleged.

BJP's Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta said that making "objectionable comments" against the EC for several months and attempting to divide the people on caste lines tantamount to "sedition".

The AAP leaders are so "apprehensive" of their defeat in Delhi that they are trying to "defame" the BJP, Mr Gupta said.