BJP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha has accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab of engaging in “political vendetta” after his name was removed from the state’s draft electoral rolls and reportedly marked as “permanently shifted”.
Chadha, who entered the Rajya Sabha from Punjab in 2022 as an AAP candidate before joining the BJP earlier this year, said he is registered as a voter in Mohali and questioned why his name had been placed in the category of voters who were absent, deceased, duplicate or had permanently shifted residence.
The controversy has emerged during Punjab’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with Chadha alleging that the action against him was politically motivated. AAP, however, has rejected the allegations and maintained that the voter revision process is conducted by the Election Commission.
Raghav Chadha Calls Draft Roll Deletion ‘Political Vendetta’
Reacting to his name being missing from the draft electoral list, Chadha said the Punjab government had allegedly extended its politics of revenge to the electoral revision exercise.
The Rajya Sabha MP said that despite being an elected representative from Punjab and having his voter registration in Mohali, his entry had been categorised as that of a person who had shifted permanently.
Chadha pointed out that the electoral rolls released so far are only draft lists and can still be corrected through the claims and objections process.
He said he was already taking steps under the provisions available through the SIR guidelines to have the matter addressed before the final voter list is published.
According to the revision schedule, voters can raise objections and seek corrections before the final electoral rolls are issued.
‘Who Marked Me as Shifted?’ Chadha Questions Officials
While acknowledging that the matter could still be corrected, Chadha argued that his case did not appear to be a simple administrative mistake.
He alleged that officials involved at different levels of the electoral revision process had deliberately classified him as “shifted”.
The BJP leader further claimed that officers handling different stages of the process could be susceptible to political influence because they are part of the state administration and their postings and transfers are controlled by the Punjab government after their election-related duties are completed.
Chadha referred to officials ranging from Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to Electoral Registration Officers and the Chief Electoral Officer, arguing that the administrative structure created the possibility of political pressure being exerted.
He alleged that this mechanism was being used to target political leaders who had chosen to leave AAP.
Chadha Links Voter Roll Controversy to His Exit From AAP
Chadha also connected the development to his decision to leave the Aam Aadmi Party and join the BJP.
According to him, former AAP leaders who moved to the BJP had faced action from Punjab’s government and administrative machinery.
He claimed that his classification as “permanently shifted” was the latest example of what he described as political retaliation against leaders who had broken away from the party.
The MP maintained that Punjab’s electoral rolls could not be treated as the property of any ruling political party.
Chadha Cites Election Commission Guidelines
Raghav Chadha also referred to provisions in the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision guidelines that he said provide special protection for certain public representatives.
According to Chadha, the guidelines include a category covering people such as Members of Parliament, MLAs and judges whose names may be identified during the revision process.
He argued that, as a sitting Rajya Sabha MP representing Punjab, his name should have remained in the draft electoral roll if it had been flagged for verification.
Chadha alleged that the relevant guideline had not simply been ignored but had been deliberately violated in his case.
He reiterated that although AAP is currently in power in Punjab, the state’s voter lists belong to the democratic system and cannot be controlled as the ruling party’s private property.
AAP Rejects Allegations Against Punjab Government
The Aam Aadmi Party strongly denied Chadha’s accusations and said the BJP leader was attempting to blame the Punjab government for his own voter registration issues.
AAP claimed that reports had raised questions about Chadha allegedly attempting to secure voter registration in Delhi through a backdated procedure.
The party maintained that the Special Intensive Revision is conducted by the Election Commission and that the Punjab government does not decide whose name is retained or deleted from the electoral rolls.
AAP also argued that Chadha had been living in Delhi and said that maintaining or changing voter registration was ultimately the responsibility of the individual voter.
The party questioned why the BJP MP was holding the Punjab government responsible if he was no longer residing at the address linked to his Punjab voter registration.
AAP further called for an investigation if any unlawful or backdated process related to voter registration had taken place.
How Was Raghav Chadha’s Name Removed From Punjab’s Draft SIR Rolls?
Election Commission records reportedly show Chadha’s name among voters removed from Punjab’s draft electoral rolls under a category covering people listed as absent, deceased, duplicate or shifted.
His entry was specifically marked as “permanently shifted”.
Punjab’s draft SIR electoral rolls were published on August 13, with approximately 20.66 lakh names removed during the revision exercise. This represented around 9.7% of the electorate before the SIR process.
Chadha is among the voters whose names were excluded at the draft stage.
Punjab Voter List Claims and Objections: Important Dates
The Election Commission has provided a window for voters to file claims and objections regarding the draft electoral rolls.
The claims and objections period in Punjab is scheduled to run from August 13 to September 12.
The state’s final electoral rolls are expected to be published on October 12.
This means voters whose names have been removed or incorrectly classified during the draft stage still have an opportunity to seek corrections before the final list is released.
Chadha’s Voter Registration History
Raghav Chadha was initially registered as a voter in Delhi when he contested the Rajya Sabha election in 2022.
After becoming a Rajya Sabha MP representing Punjab, he transferred his voter registration to Mohali. He subsequently voted there during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
However, according to reports, a search using his voter identification details on the Election Commission’s Voter Services Portal did not return an active record in either Punjab or Delhi as of Wednesday.
The issue has now triggered a political war of words between Chadha and AAP, with the BJP leader alleging political interference and the ruling party insisting that the Election Commission independently conducts the SIR process.
With the final electoral rolls yet to be published, the claims and objections process will determine whether Chadha’s voter registration is restored or corrected before Punjab’s final list is released.