The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday accused the Congress of “vote theft,” claiming that Sonia Gandhi’s name appeared on India’s electoral rolls years before she was granted Indian citizenship.

BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), alleged that Gandhi was registered as a voter in 1980—three years before becoming an Indian citizen—while still holding Italian citizenship. At the time, the Gandhi family resided at 1, Safdarjung Road, the official residence of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

According to Malviya, the 1980 electoral roll revision for the New Delhi parliamentary constituency, with January 1, 1980, as the qualifying date, included Sonia Gandhi’s name at serial number 388 in polling station 145. He claimed this was a “clear violation of electoral law,” which requires Indian citizenship for voter registration.

Malviya further alleged that after public criticism in 1982, Gandhi’s name was removed from the rolls, only to reappear in 1983—this time at serial number 236—raising fresh questions about the process.

‘Vote Theft’ Charges in Multiple Constituencies

Former Union Minister Anurag Thakur also levelled accusations of voter irregularities in Rae Bareli, Wayanad, Diamond Harbour, and Kannauj. He claimed that leaders including Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and Akhilesh Yadav had secured victories through “vote theft.”

The Congress has previously criticised the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) system, accusing the government of manipulating electoral processes, but has not yet issued a detailed response to the latest BJP allegations.

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