Show the names: Kapil Sibal challenges Yogi on 1.27 crore deleted Hindu voters claim

Detailed summary

Kapil Sibal challenged Yogi Adityanath to publish evidence for his mass voter-deletion claim. The dispute raises wider concerns about electoral roll integrity and Opposition prospects.

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Saturday questioned Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's claim that the names of 1.27 crore Hindu voters had been deleted from the state's electoral roll, news agency Press Trust of India reported. Sibal asked Adityanath to disclose the names and constituencies concerned and explain how he arrived at the figure.

Sibal also raised concerns about alleged irregularities in electoral rolls, the possible impact of the Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram)-AIMIM alliance in Uttar Pradesh, and reported defections by Opposition MPs.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Sibal said Adityanath should make the details public instead of merely citing a number. "I want to ask Yogi ji, how do you know this figure? If you know which names have been removed, put them before the people. Which names have been deleted from which constituencies?" he said.

He cautioned against adding names through Form 8 if they had not been deleted from the electoral roll. "It should not happen that names which have not been removed are added once again through Form 8. If one crore names are added, they (BJP) will win the election," he said.

Sibal contrasted Adityanath's claim with Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya's assertion that the revision exercise had been conducted properly. "Neither Yogi ji knows, nor Maurya ji knows, nor do the people know what is happening. Only the Centre knows," he said.

He also spoke about the possible electoral impact of the recently announced alliance between the Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen in Uttar Pradesh. He said the alliance could draw votes from sections of the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and minority communities, affecting the vote share of the Samajwadi Party and the Congress.

Sibal said the Azad Samaj Party, led by Nagina MP Chandra Shekhar Aazad, and Asaduddin Owaisi's AIMIM would receive some votes from these communities even if they did not win seats.

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