Delhi Assembly Polls 2025| Sudden rush to register as voters due to AAP's pro-women scheme

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday asked officials to scrutinise each and every application for new voter registration to identify genuine people even as sources attributed the sudden rush for enrolment in the Delhi electoral rolls to Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) Mahila Samman Yojana.

Under the populist scheme, the ruling AAP has promised to provide monthly assistance of Rs 2,100 to registered women voters in Delhi. Elections are set to be held in Delhi next month.

In a statement, the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said more than 3 lakh voters have been added to the electoral rolls during the special summary revision process. It said an additional 5.1 lakh Form-6 have been received between December 16, 2024, and Monday for registration of new voters.

The statement said the Delhi CEO has asked officials to scrutinise each and every application in accordance with the EC guidelines.

"Till now, eight FIRs have been filed against 24 people for submission of false/tampered documents for obtaining voter ID," it said.

The Delhi CEO said the Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) have been directed to take stringent action against those submitting false claims and fake documents to get enrolled in the electoral roll.

Sources said the Mahila Samman scheme, linked to the voter cards of the beneficiaries, amounts to bribing the electors, which is prohibited under the provisions of the Model Code of Conduct.

The Model Code of Conduct comes into effect the moment elections are announced by the EC.

Sources said the commission had issued notices to political parties in the past to withdraw similar methods of bribing voters tacitly and collecting their data.

After the Lok Sabha elections in 2024, several Muslim women gathered at the Congress office in Uttar Pradesh to get the promised financial assistance under "guarantee cards" promising Rs 1 lakh every year to the women during election campaigning.

The Delhi CEO statement said there was an unprecedented rush for new registration since December 16, 2024, as more than 5.1 lakh have submitted Form-6 for enrolment in the electoral rolls. It said 3.09 lakh new voters have already been added to the electoral rolls during the special summary revision.

"This trend of unprecedented increase of Form-6 and that too after 20 days of the last date of receiving claims and objections as scheduled in SSR-2025 (28.11.2024), is unexpected and needs greater scrutiny," the statement said.

It said directions have been issued to all EROs to scrutinise each and every form according to the ECI guidelines.

The statement said, 100 per cent field verification shall be done by EROs and assistant EROs to identify the genuine eligible persons.

"The EROs are also conducting personal hearings in doubtful cases as per ECI guidelines," the statement said.