The Bharatiya Janata Party - accused of 'colluding' with the Election Commission to commit voter fraud - counterattacked Wednesday by claiming ex-Congress boss Sonia Gandhi had been illegally, though briefly, added to the voter list 45 years ago, before she was an Indian citizen.

Ex-Union Minister Anurag Thakur claimed Mrs Gandhi - born Sonia Maino in Italy in 1946 - was added on the list from 1980 to1982, a year before she was an Indian citizen.

The allegations echoed what the BJP's Amit Malviya posted on X hours earlier.