Andhra minister rejects Congress allegations of electoral ‘vote theft’

Andhra Pradesh Health Minister and BJP leader Satya Kumar Yadav has rejected Congress allegations of “vote theft” linked to the revision of electoral rolls. Speaking in Vijayawada on Monday, Yadav accused Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, and some new political parties of spreading false claims to create doubts about the electoral process and gain political advantage. He said the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls was not a new exercise and gave voters and political parties opportunities to verify entries and raise objections.

He questioned allegations that 13 crore votes had been deleted without documentary evidence. Yadav said deletion was not straightforward and that entries involving deaths, changes of address and duplicates required verification. He referred political parties to prescribed mechanisms, including Form 7, for objections.

He also said eligible voters could enrol through Form 6 and that online registration had made enrolment more transparent. Booth-level party agents and webcasting at polling stations, he added, were safeguards in the system. The minister questioned why similar objections were not being raised in states governed by Congress.

He accused the party of failing to accept electoral defeats and also criticised former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy over constitutional comments. Yadav urged eligible citizens to use the established procedures to register and raise concerns about electoral-roll entries.