Court Reserves Order on Plea Over Sonia Gandhi’s 1980 Voter Roll Entry

A Delhi court has deferred its decision until September 11 on a petition accusing Congress leader Sonia Gandhi of electoral forgery, claiming her name was added to the New Delhi constituency's voter list in 1980—three years before she acquired Indian citizenship in 1983. Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Vaibhav Chaurasia reserved the order after hearing arguments from complainant Vikas Tripathi, represented by senior advocate Pavan Narang, who urged an investigation into potential cheating of public authorities.

This case revives scrutiny over historical voter registration processes in India, potentially impacting political narratives around citizenship and electoral integrity, especially amid ongoing debates on transparency in democratic institutions.

Narang argued that citizenship is a prerequisite for voter eligibility, questioning how Gandhi's name appeared in the 1980 rolls without it. He highlighted that her name was deleted in 1982—alongside that of Sanjay Gandhi following his death in a plane crash—suggesting the Election Commission detected irregularities. It was reinstated in 1983 post-citizenship.

"If she was a citizen, why the deletion? Proof of residence, like a ration card or passport, would have been required," Narang stated, implying forgery and demanding police action under Section 175(4) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) to direct an FIR and probe.

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The plea, initially discussed on September 4, seeks to ascertain if forgery occurred, with Narang clarifying that the police should determine applicable charges. This development could stir political controversy, given Gandhi's prominence as former Congress president and her Italian origins, which have been debated in past elections.

Legal experts note it tests the boundaries of retrospective electoral challenges, potentially setting precedents for similar cases.

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