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PTC News Desk: In a scathing attack on opposition, the BJP alleged that Congress leader Sonia Gandhi's name was already added on the electoral roll three years before she became an Indian citizen. 

BJP's recent remarks were made in response to the opposition's charge of voter fraud in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Former Union Minister and BJP MP Anurag Thakur while addressing a press conference alleged that Sonia Gandhi, who was born in Italy, was added to the voter list in 1980, three years before she became an Indian citizen.

The BJP MP echoed similar allegations earlier levelled by party's IT Cell chief Amit Malviya, who, in a post on X, shared a photocopy of the electoral roll of a polling station from the New Delhi constituency in 1980.

"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 SIR," Malviya tweeted.

Sonia Gandhi, born Edvige Antonia Albina Maino in Italy in 1946, married Rajiv Gandhi in 1968 and moved to India.

According to the Representation of the People Act, 1950, a person who is not a citizen of India is not eligible for registration on the electoral rolls. 

"Her (Sonia's) name first appeared on the rolls in 1980 - three years before she became an Indian citizen and while she still held Italian citizenship," Malviya said.

"In 1980, the electoral rolls of the New Delhi parliamentary constituency were revised with January 1, 1980, as the qualifying date. During this revision, Sonia Gandhi's name was added, appearing at serial number 388 in polling station 145," he further said.