Sonia Gandhi, the widow of Rajiv Gandhi has effectively ruled India for decades. Her family is still considered to be India’s first family. But since Narendra Modi came to power in 2014, her hold on power, the country and thus her own party is fast disappearing like ether into thin air.
Food for thought – Narendra Modi is no Atal Behari Vajpayee!
Back to the story.
The whole family is embroiled in many scandals and corruption allegations are rife. Whether it be tax evasion or the National Hearld case or the alleged secret deals with China or other countries, the pressure on her and her family is unrelenting. The latest in the list is her registration as a voter in Delhi in 1980, dated before she even became citizen of India, which is not only illegal but impossible without corrupt use of power and connections.
In August this year, when Rahula ‘baba’ went hammer and tong with his ‘vote chori’ campaign, (read tantrum), someone in the BJP was given the assignment to dig up some dirt (but facts or at least alleged facts) on the Gandhis. And an article written in 1999 in the now defunct magazine ‘Surya’ was dug up. The magazine edited by Maneka Gandhi, launched in 1976 with much fanfare and in a positive vein, as New York Times put it, was to run the rhetoric suitable to the interests of the Gandhi family, Indira Gandhi and her politics in particular. A good example will be the 1978 Suresh Ram-Sushma escapade bombshell story which obliterated Jagjivan Ram’s potential challenge to become the prime minister of India.
All was going well for the Gandhis. Advertisements were coming in for Maneka Gandhi. Sonia Gandhi, a foreigner, Italian citizen was enjoying the best of Indian hospitality at India’s number oe family’s house. Mother-in-law Indira was the prime minister and no one could question their actions. Then came the tragic death of Sanjay Gandhi and the consequent complete deterioration of relationship between his widow Maneka Gandhi and the Gandhis. A wounded tigress Maneka Gandhi was undaunted by the power of the PM’s house and went ahead with the story in 1982 raising ‘100 Questions about Ms Sonia Gandhi’
Written by A Surya Prakash on May 11, 1999, the article was titled ‘Sonia Gandhi became a voter first, then an Indian’. An excerpt reads:
“Ms Sonia Gandhi’s name first entered India’s voters’ list in 1980, three years before she became a citizen of India and renounced her Italian citizenship. Following an outcry in 1982, her name was deleted only to be reinstated in 1983.
But even the reinstatement may be questionable. Ms Gandhi was conferred Indian citizenship by the Government on April 30, 1983. The qualifying date for registering as a voter was January 1 that year.”
The article also refers to the supersonic speed at which Sonia Gandhi was conferred the Indian citizenship with the application being launched on April 7, 1983 and the grant took place a mere 22 days later on April 30, 1983.
A Surya Prakash praised the magazine for breaking the story.
“The fraudulent entry would have gone unnoticed but for ‘Surya India’, a news magazine edited by her estranged sister-in-law, which raked up the issue. ‘Surya India’ did a cover story on Ms Sonia Gandhi in October 1982 and asked how a citizen of Italy could be a voter in India. An official in Delhi’s Chief Electoral Office had told the magazine that this was a blatant violation of rules, but had pleaded his helplessness.
The magazine quoted him saying: “It is not for us to check whether applicants are bonafide citizens of this country. We expect only genuine citizens to enroll themselves. Besides, who can expect an official to question the veracity of statements made by a responsible member of the Prime Minister’s family when they go to cross-check the voters’ list?”
Initially Sonia Gandhi was listed as a voter at serial number 388 in polling station 145 of the constituency. After deletion in 1982 and following a fresh revision in 1983, she was listed at serial number 236 in polling station 140 of the New Delhi parliamentary constituency. Both times, she was still not Indian citizen.
Amit Shah in his latest address to the parliament called it a form of ‘vote chori’, by her son, Rahul baba’s theme song these days.
Surprisingly, this was not the only violation Sonia Gandhi committed. She also became a company director in the Maruti venture of Sanjay Gandhi, a position to be only held by Indian citizens.
When this 1999 article appeared, Sonia remained unbothered. The center of power in Delhi was although the BJP’s, but the prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, who is famous for a soft heart for the Gandhis.
In 2025, Narendra Modi is the prime minister and does not show any compunction for anyone who does not have India’s national interest as number one in their heart.
RaGa’s ‘vote chori’ has now come back to haunt the family. Triggered by the news, Vikas Tripathi, an advocate based in Delhi filed a criminal complaint against Sonia Gandhi, alleging irregularities in her inclusion on the New Delhi electoral roll in 1980—three years before she acquired Indian citizenship in April 1983. He alleged forgery, cheating, and false declarations under IPC, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and Representation of the People Act, 1950 on the part of Sonia Gandhi and sought an FIR and police investigation into the purported electoral fraud.
Initial Court Ruling – Petition dismissed
On September 11, 2025, Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Vaibhav Chaurasia dismissed the complaint, ruling it lacked evidence (relying on uncertified photocopies), abuse of legal process.
To be fair to Sonia Gandhi, this voting would have been post 1983 because Rajesh Khanna contested only twice, in 1991 and the 1992 by-election.
Revision Petition – allowed
Vikas Tripathi filed a criminal revision petition, represented by senior advocate Pavan Narang, challenging the dismissal. Accepting the petition, on December 9, 2025, Special Judge Vishal Gogne at Rouse Avenue Courts issued notices to Sonia Gandhi and Delhi Police, listing the matter for January 6, 2026. Narang argued documents were forged to enable the 1980 inclusion.
Sonia Gandhi, whose age is now for convenience pleaded as her defence can be in hot water. There are violations of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 and the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
Form 4 in the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 clearly states that “only the names of those who are citizens of India should be entered”.
This is the form that is sent to the occupant of the household, meaning the head of the family. In 1980, the head of the household was Indira Gandhi.
Form 6 can be filled by an individual applicant who also must declare that he or she is a citizen of India.
Section 31 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 says: “Any person who makes a statement or declaration which is false and which he either knows or believes to be false or does not believe to be true, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year or with fine or both.”
The case will come up for hearing on January 6, 2026. With family’s political fortunes at the lowest of all times, it remains to be seen if she will be able to avoid jail in the new year.