In a significant political development, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha has been registered as a voter in Delhi, just days after his name was removed from the draft voter list in Punjab, while this change occurred during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in the national capital. Raghav Chadha's name has been specifically added to the voter list of the Rajinder Nagar assembly constituency in Delhi. This transition comes after a period of intense political bickering between Chadha and his former party, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
The Transition from Punjab to Delhi
Raghav Chadha was previously a registered voter in Punjab, while recently, he had targeted the Aam Aadmi Party after his name was removed from the Punjab draft voter list, with the remark 'shifted' (indicating a permanent move to another location) placed against his entry. At that time, Chadha had accused the Punjab government of acting out of political vendetta. He claimed that the removal of his name wasn't a simple human error but a calculated political conspiracy aimed at targeting him and his family after he left the Aam Aadmi Party to join the BJP.
AAP Raises Questions on Procedural Integrity
The Aam Aadmi Party has now raised serious objections regarding the inclusion of Raghav Chadha's name in the Delhi voter list. The party has demanded a formal clarification from the Election Commission. During a press conference held on Tuesday, September 8, AAP leaders highlighted the timeline of events. They pointed out that on September 3, Raghav Chadha had accused AAP of getting his vote cancelled in Punjab, and by September 7, the Election Commission had already added his name to the Delhi list. The party questioned under which specific rules and through what process his name was added within such a short window of four days.
Allegations of Bypassing Rules
AAP leaders have alleged that the standard procedures weren't followed while adding Chadha's name to the Rajinder Nagar constituency list, while saurabh Bharadwaj, the President of Delhi AAP, provided specific figures to support these claims. He stated that as of August 31, the draft voter list for the relevant polling station showed a total of 746 voters. However, Raghav Chadha's name subsequently appeared as the 747th voter. Bharadwaj questioned how an additional name could be integrated when the draft list was already recorded with 746 voters. He urged the Election Commission to make the details of this entire process public. According to the records cited by Bharadwaj, the entry is for Raghav Chadha, son of Sunil Chadha, aged 37 years.
Response from Election Officials
Election officials have responded to the allegations made by AAP, clarifying that Raghav Chadha's name was added through the standard update process in the Delhi voter list. They confirmed that his name has been removed from the Punjab voter list, where he was previously registered when he was sent to the Rajya Sabha by the Aam Aadmi Party. An official from the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi stated that by Tuesday, Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) had approved a total of 700 Form-6 applications for inclusion in the voter lists across Delhi's 70 assembly seats. Raghav Chadha's name was among these approved applications.
Timeline of the Voter List Revision
The official explained the timeline of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). The Delhi voter list was frozen on June 16 to prepare for the SIR and remained frozen until August 31. On August 31, the draft voter list was officially published. 14 lakh Form-6 applications (excluding Form-7 and Form-8) were submitted by citizens for new voter registration. On top of that, during the period designated for claims and objections, an additional 25,011 Form-6 applications were submitted within eight days, up until September 7. These applications are intended for inclusion in the final voter list scheduled for publication on November 4. The election office noted that processing is ongoing for Form-6, Form-7, and Form-8 applications submitted both before the SIR and during the objection period. The final addition, deletion, or modification of names will be completed after all applications are verified and approved.
Allegations of Fraud and Political Pressure
AAP's National Media In-charge, Anurag Dhanda, took a harsher stance, alleging that the BJP used the Election Commission to commit fraud in making Raghav Chadha a Delhi voter. He reiterated that until September 3, Chadha claimed to be a voter in Punjab. Dhanda pointed out a discrepancy in the numbers, stating that while the draft roll on August 31 for the Rajinder Nagar booth showed 746 votes, Chadha's name was later added as the 767th vote, which he claimed was impossible under normal circumstances. He questioned whether the vote was officially transferred from Punjab and if the EPIC number remains the same as the one issued in Punjab.
Critique of the SIR Process
Anurag Dhanda further criticized the SIR process, calling it a display of 'high-handedness' by the BJP. He alleged that names are being added or removed at will without following any established legal procedures. He claimed that the process of adding and deleting votes under the guise of SIR has become a business aimed at undermining democracy. Dhanda reminded the media of Raghav Chadha's social media post on September 3, where Chadha had claimed that the Punjab government had reached a new low in vendetta politics by marking him as 'shifted' in the draft rolls. Chadha had asserted that as a Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab, his voter ID was registered in Mohali, Punjab.
The Mohali Property Controversy
To further challenge Chadha's claims, Anurag Dhanda presented a video to the media regarding the property where Chadha claimed to reside in Punjab, while dhanda stated that the video clarifies the ground reality of Flat No. 103, where Chadha claimed to live. He remarked that while Chadha claimed on September 3 that he lived there and his vote was wrongly removed, the video shows the flat is empty and infested with termites. Dhanda mockingly questioned if the termites were who Chadha was referring to as himself. He concluded by stating that Chadha's own claims of being a Punjab voter on September 3 contradict the rapid registration in Delhi, and the party will continue to seek answers on how this claim was processed in the SIR.