NEW DELHI — Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi has leveled severe allegations of electoral manipulation against the Election Commission of India (ECI) following the exclusion of 727 residents in Delhi’s Yamuna-side Bela Estate settlement from draft voter rolls.
Calling the mass deletion a systematic “method of vote theft” aimed at stripping vulnerable citizens of their constitutional rights, Gandhi questioned the poll panel’s leadership, while the ECI maintained that the revisions followed statutory protocols triggered by site demolitions.
Key Political Charges & Field Inspection
-
Mass Roll Shrinkage: Following a personal visit to the Bela Estate settlement, Gandhi highlighted that out of 728 registered residents who previously voted in recent general and state elections, only a single name remained on the active electoral roll post-revision.
-
Disregard for Homeless Provision: The Opposition leader cited previous assurances by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar regarding “House Number 0” provisions for homeless electors, arguing that physical home demolition does not diminish a citizen’s fundamental right to vote.
-
Systemic Accountability: Escalating his criticism of institutional bias, Gandhi stated that while institutional leadership changes, the underlying framework enabling voter disenfranchisement will ultimately be held accountable.
Election Commission Explanation & Course Correction
-
Statutory Reclassification: In its official clarification, the ECI stated that house-to-house verification by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) confirmed the demolition of residential structures in 2022–23. As residents no longer occupied their original registered addresses, officers moved them to the Absentee, Shifted, Dead, and Duplicate (ASDD) list under Section 20(7) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
-
Extension for Claims: To preserve electoral access, the local Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) extended the deadline for filing claims and objections, urging affected residents to submit Form 6 applications for re-enrollment.
