BJP Accuses Congress of Pre-Citizenship Voter Roll Addition for Sonia Gandhi

BJP Raises Allegations

On August 13, 2025, the Bharatiya Janata Party launched a fresh attack on the Congress, accusing it of adding Sonia Gandhi’s name to the voter list before she became an Indian citizen. BJP leaders Amit Malviya and Anurag Thakur claimed her name appeared in the New Delhi parliamentary constituency’s electoral rolls in 1980, a time when she still held Italian citizenship. They argued that this violated the eligibility requirements for voter registration.

Timeline of Voter Roll Entries

The BJP detailed a sequence of events to back its claims. Sonia Gandhi’s name first appeared in the 1980 voter list revision. In 1982, election officials removed her name after objections. However, the BJP stated that her name reappeared in the 1983 rolls before she officially received Indian citizenship in April of that year. Since the qualifying date for the 1983 list was January 1, the BJP argued that her inclusion was also invalid.

Political Context and Exchange

This controversy erupted amid an ongoing political battle over alleged electoral irregularities. Just days earlier, Congress leaders accused the BJP of manipulating voter lists in several states, calling it “vote chori” or vote theft. The BJP countered these allegations by bringing up Sonia Gandhi’s voter registration history, suggesting that Congress lacked the moral ground to question others.

Congress Strongly Denies Claims

Congress leaders quickly dismissed the BJP’s accusations. Senior leader Tariq Anwar asserted that Sonia Gandhi never applied to be included in the voter list at that time. He said the Election Commission added her name on its own and emphasised that the Commission is an independent constitutional body. Congress insisted that no political party should try to influence or undermine its credibility.

Demands for Election Commission’s Stand

The BJP called on the Election Commission to clarify how Sonia Gandhi’s name appeared in the voter roll before she became a citizen. Meanwhile, Congress urged the Commission to safeguard its autonomy and resist political pressure. As both sides traded sharp words, the dispute added more heat to the political atmosphere ahead of the upcoming elections.