Arvind Kejriwal Voter List Row: Election Commission Delhi Responds to AAP Voter Controversy
NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday questioned the absence of former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and members of his family from the draft electoral roll during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR). The Election Commission said the issue relates to voter records that could not be linked to the previous SIR roll and that the notices do not amount to a final decision on eligibility.
The Arvind Kejriwal voter list issue concerns Kejriwal, his wife Sunita Kejriwal, parents Gobind Ram Kejriwal and Gita Devi, and son Pulkit Kejriwal. All five were listed among electors who received notices under the “Unmapped with Last SIR” category in the New Delhi Assembly constituency.
Why Kejriwal Received The Notice
The Delhi election authorities said notices were generated for two broad categories: voters who could not be linked to the electoral roll from the previous revision and voters whose linked records contained logical discrepancies, such as differences in names or dates of birth.
According to NDTV, an Electoral Registration Officer clarified that non-inclusion in the draft roll does not itself establish that an elector is ineligible. The officer said eligible voters have an opportunity to seek inclusion during the claims and objections process.
The clarification is central to the Election Commission Delhi response. Officials said Kejriwal and his family were issued notices because their submitted details did not establish the required linkage with the previous revision records.
Over 31 Lakh Electors Issued Notices
The AAP voter controversy comes amid a much wider verification exercise across the capital. The Delhi election office said 31,63,930 notices had been generated for electors whose records could not be linked to the previous revision or contained logical discrepancies.
The current draft electoral roll contains about 97.5 lakh names after 47.5 lakh entries were removed for reasons including death, permanent relocation, absence and multiple enrolments, according to the election office information reported by NDTV.
The Arvind Kejriwal voter list dispute therefore forms part of a much larger SIR exercise rather than a process limited to one political leader.
The case also comes amid continuing attention on electoral administration, with the Election Commission already overseeing fresh electoral schedules in several states.
What Happens Next
The Election Commission Delhi office has asked voters who received notices to submit replies and supporting documents to the relevant Electoral Registration Officer. Officials said disposal of the notices is expected to be completed by October 10.
The final electoral roll is scheduled for publication on November 4. Until that stage, the AAP voter controversy remains focused on verification of records and the claims raised by affected electors rather than a final determination that Kejriwal or his family have permanently lost their voting rights.
The Arvind Kejriwal voter list matter is also likely to remain under scrutiny as the claims and objections process continues across Delhi.
