“My name was never removed from voter list”: Delhi woman exposes Arvind Kejriwal’s false claim

The politics of Arvind Kejriwal, convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and former Chief Minister of Delhi, is once again under the spotlight for allegations of misleading the public. At a recent event in Kidwai Nagar, Kejriwal claimed that a woman named Chandra, allegedly a voter in Delhi, had her name removed from the voter list. He used this assertion to criticise his political opponents and garner public sympathy.

However, Chandra herself has debunked Kejriwal’s statement, exposing what she described as a possible “misunderstanding” or deliberate political strategy.

In a direct response to the media, she stated, “My name was never removed from the voter list. I have always voted regularly. I don’t know why Kejriwal said this. Maybe there was some misunderstanding.”

Chandra’s husband, M. Raghhu, also weighed in on the controversy. “Both our names have always been on the voter list and still are. It’s possible that Kejriwal mentioned Chandra’s name by mistake,” he said, emphasising that their voter registration status had never been in question.

The clarification from Chandra and her husband has not only invalidated Kejriwal’s claim but also raised questions about the accuracy of his public statements.

The incident has provided ammunition for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to attack Kejriwal and the AAP. BJP’s state president Virendra Sachdeva took to X (formerly Twitter) to criticize Kejriwal’s claim, calling it an attempt to deflect from more significant issues.

Sachdeva wrote, “The woman gave a strong response to the conman spreading confusion about the voter list. Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party is actively promoting the illegal immigration of Rohingya and Bangladeshi citizens in Delhi through an organized network. To divert attention from this anti-national campaign, they falsely accused BJP of canceling the voter cards of people from Purvanchal. Both their tactics and lies have been completely exposed. Now, Arvind Kejriwal is in big trouble, caught in his own web!”

This is not the first time Kejriwal has been accused of making unverified claims. Critics have often pointed out his tendency to make populist promises or allegations without substantial evidence.

For instance, Kejriwal recently announced a scheme, Mahila Samman Yojna to provide Rs 2,100 per month to women and initiated registration for the program. However, a department within the Delhi government later clarified that no such scheme had been officially launched.

Chandra’s statements have cast doubt on Kejriwal’s credibility and suggest that his remarks may have been a political ploy to galvanize support. The BJP has accused Kejriwal of attempting to mislead voters and divert attention from other issues, including allegations related to illegal immigration.

As Chandra aptly remarked, “Maybe there was some misunderstanding,” but for many observers, this episode highlights a troubling pattern in Kejriwal’s political approach.