BJP Questions Congress Over Sonia Gandhi's 1980 Electoral Roll Entry

The BJP on Tuesday (September 2, 2026) attacked the Congress over the inclusion of senior party leader Sonia Gandhi's name on the electoral roll in 1980, three years before she became an Indian citizen. The criticism came a day after a Delhi court set aside a Magistrate's order that had refused to inquire into a complaint on the matter.

The court has sent the case back to the Magistrate court, directing it to pass a reasoned order after hearing fresh arguments.

Addressing a press conference, BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari asked whether there had been any irregularities in the addition of Ms. Gandhi's name to the electoral roll in 1980. He said such an action would violate Article 326 of the Constitution and the Representation of the People Act, and amounted to a cognisable offence.

Mr. Bhandari noted that Ms. Gandhi was not an Indian citizen in 1980 and questioned whether there had been an attempt to forge documents, pointing to the Congress being in power between 1980 and 1983.

Describing it as a theft of democracy, he alleged that the Congress supports infiltrators while opposing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), yet remains silent when its own leaders are accused of using forged documents. He sought a clarification from Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi.

Mr. Bhandari said that if Rahul Gandhi does not answer these questions, the people and the youth of the country would view his silence as an admission of guilt.