NEW DELHI: An AAP delegation, led by national convener Arvind Kejriwal and also comprising senior leaders, on Wednesday met the Election Commission amid allegations of mass deletion of names from the electoral rolls. Delhi will go to polls in February next year.
The delegation submitted 3,000 pages of evidence and alleged that the BJP was conspiring to delete names.
“The BJP is orchestrating mass vote deletion in key seats. We are grateful to the EC for granting us a meeting on short notice. We presented 3,000 pages of evidence before the poll panel, highlight the BJP’s conspiracy. These are votes of residents, particularly the poor, SCs, Dalits, Purvanchalis and those living in slums and unauthorised colonies,” Kejriwal said.
“We presented evidence of how a BJP office-bearer in the Shahdara assembly constituency secretly submitted a list to EC for deletion of 11,008 voters, and the poll panel began acting on it. In Janakpuri, 24 BJP workers applied seeking deletion of 4,874 votes. In Tughlakabad, 15 BJP men applied to delete 2,435 votes,” he said.
Calling the meeting successful, the AAP supremo said that the EC assured him that no mass deletion would take place ahead of the elections. “If the EC decides to delete a vote, a field inquiry will be conducted. During the inquiry, BLOs will be accompanied by representatives of all political parties. Any deletion will take place only after the process. If implemented, it will end wrongful deletions,” Kejriwal said.
The AAP delegation included CM Atishi, Rajya Sabha MPs Sanjay Singh and Raghav Chadha, senior party leader Jasmine Shah, among others.
Former deputy CM Manish Sisodia alleged that BJP was submitting bulk applications for removal of names from the electoral rolls as it feared defeat in the upcoming polls.