The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has alleged that Congress leader Sonia Gandhi was included in India’s voter list decades ago, before she officially acquired Indian citizenship.
BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya claimed that Gandhi’s early registration raises questions about the legality of her entry into the electoral rolls. Former Union Minister Anurag Thakur added that Mrs. Gandhi—born Sonia Maino in Italy in 1946—was reportedly added to the voter list for the New Delhi parliamentary constituency between 1980 and 1982, a year before she became an Indian citizen. Malviya said her name appeared in a revision of the electoral roll ahead of the 1980 Lok Sabha elections.
The BJP has suggested that this issue points to potential irregularities in the voter registration process and called for a detailed review.
The Congress party, however, rejected the allegations as baseless and politically motivated. Leaders accused the BJP of attempting to distract from its own challenges, framing the claims as part of a broader effort to undermine opposition parties.
This controversy emerges amid heightened political tensions over voter list revisions in several states, including Bihar, where opposition parties have protested alleged exclusions of eligible voters. The Election Commission has maintained that these updates are necessary to ensure accurate and up-to-date voter rolls.
