The legal controversy surrounding Sonia Gandhi's inclusion in the voter list decades ago has resurfaced, with a Delhi court recently issuing a notice to the former Congress President. This action follows a criminal revision petition that challenges a lower court's decision to dismiss a plea seeking a First Information Report (FIR) against her. The core allegation is that Gandhi's name was improperly added to the electoral roll in 1980, a full three years before she officially obtained Indian citizenship in 1983.
The petitioner, Vikas Tripathi, alleges that Gandhi's inclusion in the 1980 voter list constitutes cheating and forgery. He claims that as she was not yet an Indian citizen at the time, her name should not have been on the electoral rolls. The BJP has been vocal on this issue, alleging that Gandhi was illegally added to the voter list before becoming a citizen. They further contend that her name was removed in 1982 following public criticism but reappeared in 1983. The BJP argues that even the 1983 reinstatement was questionable because Gandhi received citizenship on April 30, 1983, after the January 1 qualifying date for voter registration that year.
In response to these allegations in August 2025, the Congress party defended Sonia Gandhi, stating that she never requested her name to be added to the voter list. According to Congress, the Election Commission was responsible for the inclusion.
The Delhi court's decision to issue a notice to Sonia Gandhi and the Delhi Police indicates that it acknowledges the need for further examination of the claims. Special Judge Vishal Gogne issued the notices in response to Tripathi's revision petition, which contested the magisterial court's previous dismissal of his plea for an FIR. The magisterial court had reasoned that Tripathi's petition lacked the necessary ingredients to establish offenses of cheating or forgery against Gandhi. It also noted that Tripathi's evidence relied on a photocopy of a photocopy of an uncertified electoral roll extract from 1980, deeming it insufficient for a legally sustainable accusation.
The Rouse Avenue Court dismissed a similar petition in September 2025, rejecting the claims that Gandhi was registered as a voter in 1980 before obtaining citizenship. Amit Malviya from the BJP alleged that Gandhi's name was deleted in 1982 due to public outcry and reappeared in 1983, questioning the reinstatement since the qualifying date for the year's revision was before Gandhi's citizenship.
This legal battle unfolds against a backdrop of accusations and counter-accusations between the BJP and the opposition regarding voter registration irregularities. The BJP has accused the Congress of "vote-theft," while the Congress has accused the BJP of politicizing voter registration processes. The court has sought a response from the Delhi Police and has scheduled further hearings on the matter. The case remains ongoing, and the court's final decision will likely have significant political ramifications.
