Rahul Gandhi Targets EC Over 727 Bela Estate Voter Deletions
Election Commission says matter has been addressed and extends deadline for claims and objections
- Rahul Gandhi flags deletion of 727 Bela Estate voters.
- EC says the matter has already been addressed by the ERO.
- Residents can file claims and objections under the revision process.
- Dispute comes amid wider political scrutiny of the SIR exercise.
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 29th Sept: Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has criticised the Election Commission over the reported deletion of 727 names from the electoral rolls in Delhi’s Bela Estate, calling the development another instance of what he described as “vote theft.”
Gandhi raised the issue in a post on X after visiting Bela Estate, where he claimed that 727 of 728 residents had been excluded from the voter list following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
He also targeted Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, saying that while the CEC would eventually leave office, the system behind the decisions would also have to answer for them. Gandhi argued that the absence of a permanent house should not affect a person’s right to vote.
The Election Commission, however, said the matter had already been addressed by the concerned Electoral Registration Officer (ERO). The Commission has also extended the period for filing claims and objections as part of the ongoing electoral-roll revision process.
The controversy centres on the electoral status of residents of Bela Estate, where several dwelling units were demolished in 2022-23. According to the Commission’s earlier explanation, the demolition resulted in changes to the physical and residential status of the area, and the concerned Booth Level Officer (BLO) found that the electors were no longer residing at their registered addresses.
The Commission said the BLO was required under the SIR process to conduct house-to-house visits for distribution of Enumeration Forms. Since the earlier dwelling units had been demolished, the concerned electors were placed in the ASDD category in accordance with the applicable instructions.
Gandhi questioned the basis for the deletions, pointing to the Election Commission’s earlier clarification that “House Number 0” could be used for homeless voters. He said the residents had continued to live in the area despite the demolition of their earlier homes and had voted in previous elections.
The Election Commission has reiterated that voters affected by the revision can apply for inclusion through the prescribed process. The poll panel has also said that the claims-and-objections period has been extended, allowing additional time for electors to seek corrections or inclusion in the rolls.
The Bela Estate issue comes amid a wider political dispute over the Election Commission’s SIR exercise and the functioning of the poll panel. Gandhi has previously demanded the removal of CEC Gyanesh Kumar, while the Election Commission has maintained that its electoral-roll revision process follows established procedures.
The final electoral roll for Delhi is scheduled to be published after the claims-and-objections process is completed.
