Arvind Kejriwal demands that no vote should be deleted from October 18 until Delhi elections are over

NEW DELHI, December 6, 2024– In a fiery revelation, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Friday pointed out that the BJP is orchestrating a massive “vote deletion scam” aimed at undermining democracy in Delhi. Backed by evidence, the AAP Supremo asserted that the BJP is systematically targeting AAP supporters by unlawfully deleting their names from the voters’ list. Highlighting shocking cases in Shahdara Assembly, he revealed that BJP applied to cut 11,018 votes, with an investigation revealing that 75% of these voters were alive and still residing at their registered addresses.

Flanked by senior leaders Manish Sisodia, MP Raghav Chadha, and Jitender Singh ‘Shunty’, Arvind Kejriwal demanded immediate action from the Election Commission to halt voter deletions until elections and called for a thorough investigation into the conspiracy.

AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal stated, “I am fully confident that after watching this, you too will be stunned. So far, we have only heard stories about how Haryana was won, how Maharashtra was won—this must have happened, or that must have happened. But today, we are presenting evidence to show what the BJP is doing in the Delhi elections. BJP is filing applications with the Election Commission at a massive scale to delete votes. And secretly, the Election Commission is processing these applications.”

The AAP Supremo said, “Today, I will show you data from just one assembly constituency, and in the coming days, we will present data from other constituencies one by one. In the Shahdara assembly constituency, BJP has filed applications to delete 11,018 votes in the past month.”

Pointing out a few applications, Arvind Kejriwal said, “These are the applications. Take a look. Each page is signed by BJP officials, with their ten letters attached. For example, you can see the name Vishal Bharadwaj, BLA 1, Shahdara Assembly Constituency, BJP Delhi State. These applications are even submitted on BJP’s official letterhead.”

“In the last month and a half, BJP has already submitted applications to delete 11,000 votes, and the process continues. Every two or three days, they come and submit applications to delete another 500 votes. By the time elections come, who knows how many more votes they will have deleted in Shahdara alone,” he added.

Arvind Kejriwal said, “In these applications, it is claimed that these 11,018 voters have either shifted or are deceased. Investigating all 11,000 applications was not feasible in such a short time, so we randomly selected 500 voters to verify. Many of these addresses belong to ‘jhuggi’ clusters and unauthorized colonies, making them difficult to locate. However, out of the 500 voters investigated, we found 372 voters still residing at the same addresses. Here is the list of those 372 voters whom we located and who are still residing at their listed addresses, contrary to BJP’s list in which they claim that they have shifted.”

“The remaining addresses could not be verified, but based on this sample, it is evident that BJP’s claim is flawed. If 372 out of 500 voters are still residing at their registered addresses, then over 75% of the applications filed by BJP could be false. This means that over 75% of the 11,000 voters whose names BJP wants deleted are genuine voters,” pointed out the AAP Chief.

Arvind Kejriwal highlighted, “When we spoke to these voters, we found that most of them are the AAP supporters. Shahdara constituency has a total of 1,86,362 voters, and BJP wants to delete 11,000 of them—nearly 6% of the constituency’s voters. How does this make sense? Deleting 6% of the votes from a single constituency raises serious questions about the integrity of the election process.”

“In the last election, AAP won the Shahdara seat by a margin of just 5,294 votes. BJP is now attempting to delete 11,000 votes, almost double the margin by which we won last time. What is the point of elections if this is how they are being manipulated?” He asked.

he AAP Supremo said, “The Election Commission’s role is highly suspicious in this. According to the rules, the Election Commission must upload details of all applications for vote deletions on its website daily in Form 10. Yet, as of yesterday, the Election Commission’s website showed only 487 applications for vote deletions in Shahdara constituency over the past month. This means that the 11,000 applications submitted by BJP are being processed secretly without being displayed on the website.”

“This secrecy is evident from an order issued by the Election Commission on November 22, instructing action on BJP’s applications for vote deletions. However, these applications are not visible on the website, raising questions about the Election Commission’s intentions,” he added.

Arvind Kejriwal said, “Let me share details of other constituencies based on the Election Commission’s website: Janakpuri has 6,247 applications for vote deletions, Sangam Vihar has 5,862, RK Puram has 4,285, Palam has 4,031, Dwarka has 4,013, Tughlakabad has 3,987, Okhla has 3,933, Karawaval Nagar has 2,957, Laxmi Nagar has 2,147, Mustafabad has 2,051, Vikas Puri has 1,923, Uttam Nagar has 1,807, Krishna Nagar has 1,631, and Matiala has 1,561.”

“These figures only represent what is visible on the website. Who knows how many more applications are being processed secretly? This is a direct attack on democracy. A voter’s right to cast their vote is fundamental, if this right has been curtailed then there is no point in being a citizen of the country. Dr. BR Ambedkar fought to ensure that every citizen, regardless of caste or religion, has the right to vote and choose their government. BJP and the Election Commission are openly conspiring to strip citizens of this basic right,” asserted the AAP Chief.

Arvind Kejriwal said, “Every election, voters discover that their names have been deleted from the rolls without any prior notice. This manipulation raises serious doubts about the integrity of past elections in states like Haryana and Maharashtra, where similar allegations have been made.”
“Today, we present before you some of the voters whose names BJP attempted to delete. These individuals are alive and still residing at the same addresses listed on the voter rolls. For example, Upendra Kumar still lives at A-334, Uma Devi lives at B-8 Ambedkar Nagar, Shambhu Kumar resides at B-326, and Sunil Kumar also lives at B-326. All these individuals are present here today, and their voter cards confirm their residency,” added AAP head.
Arvind Kejriwal said that the right to vote is a constitutional right of every citizen in our country. “If that right is taken away, then being a citizen of this country holds no meaning. Babasaheb Ambedkar had said that regardless of religion or caste, every person has the right to vote and elect their government. The Election Commission and BJP are blatantly robbing citizens of this right.”

“People go to cast their votes early in the morning, only to find out that their names have been removed from the voter list. They don’t get to vote. They shout and protest. The media takes a few bites, and then the matter dies down. Governments are formed. Now it is becoming clear how these governments are made. We have read a lot in newspapers about similar accusations by Congress or Shiv Sena. I don’t know what happened on a large scale in Haryana or Maharashtra, but after this revelation, one can’t help but suspect that something is definitely wrong,” he highlighted.

Arvind Kejriwal said that the BJP is terribly afraid of the people of Delhi. The people of Delhi are extremely angry with the BJP. “The way BJP has ruined the law and order situation across Delhi is appalling. Women and girls are being openly harassed, and there are open shootings. Delhi has been turned into the capital of gangsters. The people of Delhi want to teach BJP a lesson, and BJP also knows that they are losing badly. So, in desperation, they have resorted to this method of deleting a large number of AAP votes to win elections. But after today’s revelation, the people of Delhi will be outraged. The citizens of Delhi will not allow this conspiracy to succeed under any circumstances,” said the AAP Head.
Arvind Kejriwal said that the credibility of the Election Commission is at stake today. “I humbly request the Election Commission to reveal by this evening how many votes are being secretly deleted in each assembly constituency of Delhi. All the details about which constituencies are being targeted should be uploaded on the Election Commission’s website by this evening. Secondly, from August 28 to October 18, the Election Commission conducted a ‘Summary Revision.’”

“Before any election, the Election Commission sends its officers door-to-door to verify voter lists, identify any shifts, and account for deaths. After conducting this exercise over two months, what remains to be done? If the BJP is now getting 11,000 votes deleted after October 18, it means there is something wrong. Either the Election Commission did not perform its duties properly in those two months, or these deletions are baseless. If the Election Commission has already completed its work, then on what basis are 11,000 votes being deleted at the BJP’s request?” He questioned.

TheAAP National Convenor stated, “We demand that no votes should be deleted in Delhi after October 18 until the elections. Even if someone has shifted, what difference does it make? But if an eligible voter is deprived of their right to vote, that is unacceptable. Therefore, we demand an immediate stop to vote deletions in Delhi.”

Arvind Kejriwal warned, “The BJP official who submitted this request to delete votes will face legal action. We will demand this from the Election Commission as well. This is a violation of the Indian Penal Code’s sections 174, 318, 217, 196, and 61. It also breaches the Representation of the People Act’s sections 31, 125, and 136. Additionally, I warn all BLOs, AEROs, and returning officers: ‘Do not indulge in wrongdoing. The signatures are yours. Governments come and go, but documents remain permanent. If not today, then tomorrow you will go to jail. Whoever does wrong will face action.’”

BJP is pushing people back to the Pre-Independence era: Manish Sisodia

Senior AAP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia stated, “Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, and countless martyrs fought for the country so that its people could have the right to vote and elect their government. But out of fear of losing elections, BJP is pushing people back to the pre-independence era. By secretly getting votes deleted through the Election Commission, they are betraying the souls of these martyrs and dragging the country back to colonial times. Is this the British Raj? The Election Commission must take cognizance of this and use its full authority to stop such misdeeds.”

BJP is deleting votes 2–4 times the winning margin of AAP: Raghav Chadha

MP Raghav Chadha said, “In Shahdara constituency, during the 2020 elections, when there was a wave in favor of AAP in Delhi, we won the seat by a margin of about 5,200 votes. Our voting margin was 5,200 votes. Today, the documents we have show that BJP has submitted applications to delete over 11,000 votes. This reveals a systematic effort to delete AAP votes constituency by constituency. The analysis shows that BJP is targeting 2–4 times the winning margins to ensure elections are not free and fair. This is a sign of tampering with the electoral machinery. It also shows that BJP has already conceded defeat and is resorting to such tactics to influence the upcoming 2025 Assembly elections.”

BJP is violating fundamental rights by deleting votes: Jitender Singh ‘Shunty’

Jitender Singh ‘Shunty’ stated, “The right to vote is a fundamental right. Arvind Kejriwal mentioned Ambedkar Camp, which was established 42 years ago before my eyes. Migrant workers and laborers live there, some from Chhatarpur, Madhya Pradesh, some from Uttar Pradesh, and later from Rajasthan. Over the last four days, more than 200 people have come to my house with their voter cards in hand, stating that their names are on the list but they are being removed. This is not just about deleting votes but also about violating fundamental rights. These workers are being denied even the basic facilities they were entitled to. Deleting such a large number of votes is shocking. Taking away their fundamental rights is also against human rights. Therefore, the steps being taken to address this are absolutely correct.”