“Political Vendetta”: Raghav Chadha on Voter List Row
BJP MP says his name was marked “shifted” in Punjab’s draft rolls; AAP denies state government’s role in SIR
- Raghav Chadha’s name was marked “permanently shifted” in Punjab’s draft voter rolls.
- The BJP MP accused the AAP government of political vendetta.
- AAP said the Punjab government has no role in the SIR process.
- The Election Commission’s final Punjab electoral roll is scheduled for October 1.
GG News Bureau
Chandigarh, 3rd Sept: BJP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha has alleged political vendetta after his name was marked as “permanently shifted” in Punjab’s draft electoral rolls released following the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
Chadha, who was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab as an AAP nominee in 2022 before joining the BJP in April 2026, said his voter registration remains in Mohali. He questioned how his name could have been classified as shifted despite being a sitting Rajya Sabha MP from the state.
“The AAP government in Punjab has now taken its politics of revenge to the Draft Electoral Rolls,” Chadha alleged, arguing that the development was not a mere clerical error but part of a wider political vendetta.
He also referred to the Election Commission’s SIR guidelines concerning public representatives, arguing that MPs and MLAs are covered under a protected category and should be included in the draft rolls if their names are flagged during the revision process.
Chadha, however, acknowledged that the current rolls are only a draft and said the claims and objections process provides an opportunity for corrections. He said he was taking steps under the SIR guidelines to address the issue.
AAP rejects allegation
The Aam Aadmi Party rejected Chadha’s allegations and said the Punjab government has no role in deciding which names are included in or removed from electoral rolls.
AAP said the SIR exercise is conducted by the Election Commission of India, not the state government, and accused Chadha of attempting to shift the blame to the AAP and Punjab government over his voter registration.
The party also raised questions over allegations that Chadha had sought to have his voter registration shifted to Delhi through a backdated process.
CEO seeks report
Punjab Chief Electoral Officer Anindita Mitra said she was not aware of any deletion of Chadha’s name and indicated that a detailed report would be sought from the district election authorities to establish whether his name had actually been deleted and the reason for the classification.
The controversy comes amid the wider SIR exercise in Punjab. According to reports, 20.66 lakh names were excluded from the draft electoral rolls, including entries categorised as absent, shifted, dead or duplicate.
The Election Commission’s published schedule provides for claims and objections and subsequent disposal before publication of the final electoral roll. The official SIR schedule lists October 1, 2026 as the date for publication of Punjab’s final electoral roll.
The dispute has added another political flashpoint between the AAP and BJP ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections, with Chadha alleging political interference and AAP maintaining that the electoral revision is an Election Commission exercise.
