With Lok Sabha elections at doorsteps, Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal has raised fingers on the Election Commission of India (ECI) questioning its "motive" as he alleged large scale deletion of names from the Delhi's electoral roll by ECI officials at the behest of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The AAP's arch rival BJP is the ruling dispensation at the Centre with which it always remains at loggerheads. While the ECI regarded as guardian of elections is a constitutional autonomous body that prepare electoral rolls and update the voter's list from time to time. Its prime function is the conduct of timely, free and fair elections in the country.
However, Kejriwal's argument cannot be taken without a "pinch of salt" as in his letter to the Chief Election Commissioner, OP Rawat , he claims that those deleted from the voter list are either Congress or AAP voters. He alleged that "lakhs of votes" in Delhi have been deleted after last Assembly elections. "Most of the deleted names exist in person and have been deleted with malafide intent. Procedure prescribed under the law for deletion of names has not been followed in almost all cases, which raises suspicion about the motive", reads Kejriwal's letter. It further reads: "A cursory perusal of the deleted names shows that most of these votes belong to either Congress or AAP. Therefore, it is likely that some officers have done it at the instance of BJP with malafide intent to prevent them from voting."