Raghav Chadha Raises Objection After Name Marked ‘Permanently Shifted’ In Punjab SIR

BJP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha has accused the AAP-led Punjab government of “political vendetta” after his name was left out of the state’s draft electoral rolls and listed as “permanently shifted”.

Chadha, who entered the Rajya Sabha from Punjab on an AAP ticket in 2022 before joining the BJP this year, said his voter registration was in Mohali and questioned why he had been classified as a shifted voter. He pointed out that the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process is still at the draft stage, allowing voters to file claims and objections before the final rolls are published.

Chadha Questions ‘Shifted’ Status

Chadha alleged that the classification was not a routine administrative error and accused the Punjab government of targeting him after he left AAP.

He questioned how the “shifted” status was determined and alleged that government officials involved in the electoral revision could be influenced by the state administration because of its control over their postings and transfers.

The BJP leader also claimed that other former AAP leaders who joined the BJP had faced similar action from the Punjab government.

MP Cites SIR Guidelines

Chadha also referred to the Election Commission’s SIR guidelines, claiming that MPs, MLAs and judges are included in a category of public representatives whose names are to be retained in the draft electoral rolls when identified during the revision.

He argued that his status as a sitting Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab should therefore have protected his entry in the draft rolls. “AAP may run the Punjab Government, but Punjab’s Draft Electoral Rolls are not its private property,” Chadha said.

AAP Rejects Chadha’s Charge

AAP rejected the allegations, asserting that the SIR exercise is conducted by the Election Commission and that the Punjab government has no authority to decide which names are added or removed from electoral rolls. The party claimed Chadha has been residing in Delhi and said maintaining or changing his voter registration was his responsibility.

AAP also alleged that Chadha was attempting to restore his voter registration in Delhi through a backdated process and called for an investigation into the matter if any illegal procedure was followed.

Why Was Chadha’s Name Removed?

Election Commission records cited in reports show Chadha’s name among voters excluded from Punjab’s draft rolls under categories covering absent, shifted, deceased and duplicate voters. His entry has reportedly been marked “permanently shifted”.

The draft SIR rolls released in Punjab on August 13 excluded around 20.66 lakh names, or about 9.7% of the electorate recorded before the revision. Voters can submit claims and objections until September 12. The final electoral rolls are scheduled to be published on October 12.

Chadha was registered as a voter in Delhi when he contested the 2022 Rajya Sabha election. After becoming an MP from Punjab, he shifted his voter registration to Mohali and reportedly cast his vote there during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

A search of the Election Commission’s Voter Services Portal using his voter ID details reportedly showed no result for either Delhi or Punjab as of Wednesday.