Outgoing CEC RawatThe Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Wednesday hit out at outgoing Chief Election Commissioner O P Rawat over his statement that the survey of deleted voters’ in two areas of the Tughlakabad constituency had proven that names were not wrongfully deleted from the electoral rolls between 2015-18.
Reacting to Rawat’s comments made during The Indian Express Idea Exchange programme, AAP’s south Delhi Lok Sabha in-charge Raghav Chadha said the statement was “patently contrary to records and facts” and amounted to taking a “partisan stand”.
The CEC had said that the survey, undertaken by 11 teams between November 16-18, had helped establish that the AAP’s allegation — that there has been large-scale wrongful deletion of voters — was without any basis. The survey, which was videographed, had taken place in the presence of representatives of all recognised political parties.
“It is shocking that Shri Rawat has chosen to go public with the letter, and further make statements contrary to records and facts without even releasing the report of the survey. During the survey, it was noticed that many voters’ names were indeed deleted without any pre-deletion inquiry, verification or hearing. This will be borne out from the videography conducted during the survey.
“Also, there were voters whose names were deleted from the electoral roll, and also did not figure either on the list put up on the EC website or the list used during the survey. It appears the website list and the survey list put together still do not constitute the entire list of deletions,” Chadha said.
Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari, meanwhile, said AAP was raising the issue because of “apprehensions of defeat” in next year’s Lok Sabha elections.
