New questions have emerged over Sonia Gandhi’s entry into India’s electoral rolls, with records showing her name was added twice before she became an Indian citizen — first in 1980 and again in 1983.
First Appearance — As an Italian Citizen
Sonia Gandhi married Rajiv Gandhi on 25 February 1968, yet chose to retain her Italian citizenship for the next 15 years. Despite this, her name first appeared on the New Delhi parliamentary constituency’s electoral rolls in 1980, when she was still an Italian citizen and three years away from acquiring Indian citizenship.
At the time, the Gandhi family resided at 1, Safdarjung Road — the official residence of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Before 1980, the voters registered at that address were Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Sanjay Gandhi, and Maneka Gandhi. In the electoral roll revision of 1980, with January 1, 1980 as the qualifying date, Sonia Gandhi’s name was inserted at serial number 388 in polling station 145.
This was a direct violation of Indian electoral law, which mandates that only Indian citizens can be enrolled as voters.
Deleted, Then Reappeared — Still Illegally
Following an outcry in 1982, Sonia Gandhi’s name was deleted from the voters’ list. But the reprieve was short-lived. In 1983, during a fresh revision of the electoral rolls, her name reappeared — this time at serial number 236 in polling station 140.
The qualifying date for that revision was January 1, 1983. Yet Sonia Gandhi was granted Indian citizenship only on April 30, 1983 — four months later. Once again, her voter registration was in blatant breach of the law.
Two Illegal Entries, Zero Accountability
In simple terms:
1980: Registered as a voter while still an Italian citizen.
1983: Registered again before acquiring Indian citizenship.
Both instances were in complete violation of the Representation of the People Act. And yet, no action was taken.
Hypocrisy Of Rahul Gandhi
If any ordinary citizen committed such voter list violations, the law would act swiftly — yet Sonia Gandhi faced none.
Rahul Gandhi now accuses the Election Commission of colluding with the BJP in “vote chori,” claiming “open and shut proof” of fraud in 48 seats.
The EC has called his claims “wild” and “baseless,” demanding evidence under oath or an apology. Political reactions are split, with some backing a probe and others questioning his stance.
The irony: while Rahul cries foul over alleged voter roll manipulation, his own family has indulged in blatant violation of electoral process by getting enrolled as a voter while holding the citizenship of another country.
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