Senior Congress leader and former Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Bharatsinh Solanki made serious allegations on Sunday regarding electoral roll manipulation in two key states. Speaking at a press conference held at the GPCC headquarters in Gandhinagar, Solanki revealed that a substantial number of Form No. 7 applications have been submitted in both Gujarat and Tamil Nadu for the removal of voters' names from the electoral lists.
Congress Plans Legal Action Over Voter List Concerns
Solanki emphasized the critical timing of these developments, noting that local body elections are scheduled to take place in Gujarat in the coming months. The veteran politician stated that the Congress party is taking this matter with utmost seriousness at both state and national levels.
Dual-Pronged Strategy to Address Electoral Issues
According to Solanki, the Congress leadership has devised a comprehensive strategy to address what they perceive as systematic voter list manipulation:
- The central leadership of the Congress party is preparing to approach the Supreme Court regarding these electoral roll concerns
- Simultaneously, the party plans to file formal complaints with the Election Commission of India (ECI)
- The Gujarat state unit of the Congress party is pursuing the matter aggressively through local channels
"The central leadership of the Congress is making plans to approach the SC as well as the ECI regarding the issue. The state unit of the Congress is taking up the matter aggressively as well," Solanki told reporters during the briefing.
Implications for Upcoming Elections
The allegations come at a politically sensitive time, with local body elections approaching in Gujarat. Political observers note that such claims about voter list manipulation could potentially impact electoral outcomes and public confidence in the democratic process. The Congress party's decision to pursue both judicial and electoral commission routes indicates their determination to address these concerns through multiple institutional channels.
While specific numbers of allegedly affected voters were not disclosed, Solanki's characterization of "a large number" of Form No. 7 applications suggests the party believes the scale of potential voter removal warrants immediate attention and intervention from constitutional authorities.
