Congress Alleges 'BJP Vote Ghotala' in Haryana BPL List Manipulation, Demands Investigation

In the ongoing monsoon session of Haryana Assembly witnessed heated exchanges as Congress leaders accused the ruling BJP of orchestrating a "Vote Ghotala" through systematic manipulation of the Below Poverty Line beneficiary database. The allegations emerged during the monsoon session's question hour, sparking a political controversy over electoral integrity.

Congress MLA Sheeshpal Kehrwala presented damning statistics, revealing that 8.73 lakh families were added to BPL rolls while 9.68 lakh were subsequently deleted between January 2024 and July 2025. He alleged this represented a calculated strategy to influence voting patterns by temporarily expanding benefits during the election period.

"Names were strategically added during the election year to net votes, then conveniently deleted afterward," Kehrwala argued, demanding a comprehensive investigation into the timing and rationale behind these massive database changes. Currently, Haryana maintains 41.93 lakh families in the BPL category as of August 22.

Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini firmly rejected the allegations, defending the process as necessary corrections based on eligibility verification. "Congress complained about eligible beneficiaries being excluded, so we opened the portal. Then they complained about ineligible inclusions, forcing us to conduct surveys and remove unqualified beneficiaries," Saini explained.

Development Minister Krishan Lal Panwar clarified that beneficiary identification followed strict protocols using the Parivar Pehchan Patra database, based on verified annual family income records. The session also addressed other regional concerns, including irrigation projects in Sirsa and healthcare services in Nuh district. Speaker Harvinder Kalyan prevented extended debate on the BPL controversy, moving proceedings to subsequent questions.