AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh on Tuesday alleged that the deletion of 13.37 crore names from electoral rolls across the country had directly benefited the BJP, demanding the cancellation of elections affected by alleged irregularities and a return to ballot papers.
Addressing a press conference in Karma village under the Ghorawal Assembly constituency in Uttar Pradesh's Sonbhadra district, Singh accused Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of centralising the electoral system to favour Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP.
"The issue of vote theft in the country is extremely serious. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar has deleted names of 13.37 crore voters across the country, directly benefiting the BJP," he alleged.
Singh demanded fresh elections using ballot papers wherever irregularities were alleged. He also called for an impartial process to appoint election commissioners, arguing that the selection process could not ensure neutrality if it remained under the government's control.
Alleging manipulation of electoral rolls in Uttar Pradesh, Singh claimed that 13 lakh voters had been added without clarity on their origins. He also alleged that applications seeking the deletion of voters' names were being submitted using fictitious identities.
Citing an instance, he claimed that an application seeking the deletion of 188 votes had been filed in the name of a woman, Reshma, who could not be traced during verification. He demanded that Gyanesh Kumar be jailed over the alleged irregularities.
The AAP leader also referred to Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav's claim that one person's name had appeared on electoral rolls at 10 different locations. Singh said his party was organising workers' conferences across Uttar Pradesh to raise these issues with the state and central governments.
Turning to education, Singh alleged that 26,000 schools in Uttar Pradesh had been shut in the name of merger and claimed that their buildings were being used by people to consume alcohol. Accusing the governments led by Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath of neglecting education, he said it remained a priority for the AAP.
He also criticised the state's healthcare system, alleging that surgeries were being conducted in hospitals under candlelight and that medical facilities were in poor condition.
On the proposed Vindhya Expressway, Singh claimed that farmers in Sonbhadra had opposed the project, which passes through the district. He alleged that fertile land across 72 villages was being acquired at throwaway prices and warned that the AAP would launch a major agitation against the project.
Asked about the Supreme Court's handling of electoral disputes, Singh criticised the pace of judicial proceedings, alleging that little progress had been made beyond observations and repeated adjournments.
He also questioned the use of Form 6 in West Bengal, referring to a reported court observation that it had not approved the form's use in the manner concerned. Singh demanded the cancellation of the state's election results, alleging that 27 lakh people had been deprived of their voting rights.
The AAP MP further alleged that protests against the government were growing despite increasing repression. He also accused BJP and RSS workers of tearing women's clothes in the national capital, claiming that photographs and videos of the incident were available.
(With inputs from PTI)