Sonia Gandhi terms plea over voter list inclusion ‘politically motivated’
New Delhi: Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi has informed the Rouse Avenue Court that allegations regarding the purported fraudulent inclusion of her name in the voter list before obtaining Indian citizenship are “politically motivated” and devoid of merit.
A detailed reply has been submitted on her behalf before the Rouse Avenue Court opposing a revision petition that accuses her of securing entry into the electoral rolls through fraudulent means before acquiring Indian citizenship.
In her response, Gandhi has strongly challenged the claims made in the petition, asserting that they are based on incorrect, misleading, and unsubstantiated facts.
The case is scheduled to be heard on February 21. The revision petition was filed by advocate Vikas Tripathi, who has challenged a Magistrate Court order issued in September 2025.
The lower court had dismissed his complaint, which sought the registration of a criminal case and an investigation into alleged irregularities linked to her inclusion in the electoral rolls.
According to the petition, Sonia Gandhi formally acquired Indian citizenship on April 30, 1983. However, the plea alleges that her name had appeared in the New Delhi voter list as early as 1980, raising questions about the legitimacy of her inclusion in the electoral rolls during that period.
Responding to these allegations, Gandhi stated that the application filed against her is “baseless and politically motivated”, describing it as “an abuse of the legal process”.
She has maintained that the accusations lack factual and legal grounding.
In her reply, Gandhi further argued that the lower court had rightly observed that matters concerning citizenship fall exclusively within the jurisdiction of the Central government.
She also asserted that issues related to voter lists and electoral disputes fall solely under the authority of the Election Commission, and that criminal courts do not have the power to interfere in such matters or encroach upon their jurisdiction.
Gandhi also claimed that the complainant had failed to produce any credible documentary proof to substantiate the allegations. “No concrete documents or evidence have been provided to support the allegations made in the complaint,” she added.
The plea filed by Tripathi has sought to question the circumstances under which her name was included in the electoral roll at the time.
It has also raised concerns about the subsequent deletion of her name from the voter list in 1982. It has demanded clarity regarding the documents that were allegedly relied upon for her inclusion in the 1980 electoral rolls.
The petition further alleges that the earlier entry may have been based on forged documentation.
Rejecting these claims, Sonia Gandhi reiterated in her response that the allegations are unfounded and rooted in misleading interpretations of facts.
She has maintained that the revision petition lacks substance and is based on incorrect assertions, while defending the legality of her actions and the decisions of the lower court.