Special Judge (PC Act) Vishal Gogne heard the matter and directed both Sonia Gandhi and the state government to file their responses before the next hearing scheduled for January 6. The court has also sought the complete Trial Court Record (TCR) for further examination.
The petition argues that Gandhi’s name appeared in the 1980 voters’ list of the New Delhi Assembly constituency even though she was granted Indian citizenship only in April 1983. Tripathi contends that the inclusion constituted a violation of electoral law and was therefore unlawful.
The complaint had previously been dismissed on September 11 by ACMM Vaibhav Chaurasia. The magistrate held that issues pertaining to voter lists fall under constitutional election jurisdiction and that courts are restricted from intervening in such matters due to Article 329 of the Constitution, which bars judicial interference in electoral processes.
The controversy echoes allegations raised earlier by BJP leaders. In August, BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya claimed that Sonia Gandhi’s name appeared twice in separate voter lists during a period when she was still an Italian citizen. He alleged that her name was first added in 1980 while she was residing at 1, Safdarjung Road. According to his claims, her name was removed in 1982 after objections but reintroduced in the 1983 revised list, which took effect on January 1 four months before she was granted citizenship on April 30, 1983.
The issue has resurfaced at a time of heightened political scrutiny, with the court’s notice ensuring that the matter will remain active in the legal arena ahead of the next hearing.
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