Sonia Gandhi / BJP accuses Sonia of adding her name to voter list even before she got citizenship; documents released

Sonia Gandhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the Congress. The BJP alleged that former Congress president Sonia Gandhi's name was illegally included in the voter list 45 years ago, i.e. between 1980 and 1982, even before she acquired Indian citizenship. The claim was made by senior BJP leaders, former Union ministers Anurag Thakur and Amit Malviya, which has created a stir in political circles.

Anurag Thakur's claim

Anurag Thakur said that Sonia Gandhi, who was born in Italy in 1946 as Sonia Maino, was named in the voter list of the New Delhi parliamentary constituency from 1980 to 1982. This was the time when she had not yet acquired Indian citizenship. Thakur called it a blatant violation of the law, as Indian citizenship is mandatory for inclusion in the voter list in India. Thakur also said that there was an uproar in 1982 over the issue, after which Sonia Gandhi's name was removed from the voter list.

Amit Malviya shared 'evidence'

BJP's National Information and Technology Cell in-charge Amit Malviya raised the issue more forcefully. He shared an alleged photocopy of the 1980 voter list on the social media platform 'X', in which Sonia Gandhi's name was recorded as a voter. Malviya claimed that this entry was made at a time when Sonia Gandhi had not acquired Indian citizenship. He termed it illegal and said that it was a clear violation of the rules of that time.

Malviya also told that Sonia Gandhi was married to Rajiv Gandhi in 1968 and at that time the Gandhi family lived in the official residence of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. Her name was allegedly included during the revision of the voter list of New Delhi parliamentary constituency before the 1980 Lok Sabha elections. However, her name was removed after the issue became controversial in 1982.

Controversy even after citizenship in 1983?

Malviya made another serious allegation. He said that after Sonia Gandhi got Indian citizenship in 1983, her name was again included in the voter list, but this was also a part of fraud. According to him, the cut-off date for the voter list was January 1, while Sonia Gandhi got citizenship in April 1983. On this basis, it was also wrong to include her name in the list of that year.

Rahul Gandhi also targeted

Meanwhile, Anurag Thakur also attacked Congress MP Rahul Gandhi. Referring to the allegations of voter fraud in Maharashtra and Karnataka last year, he accused Rahul Gandhi of lying and presenting wrong figures. Thakur said that the Congress has repeatedly been involved in such acts, which question the democratic process.

Sonia Gandhi’s tryst with India’s voters’ list is riddled with glaring violations of electoral law. This perhaps explains Rahul Gandhi’s fondness for regularising ineligible and illegal voters, and his opposition to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

Her name first appeared… pic.twitter.com/upl1LM8Xhl

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) August 13, 2025