Archive · 3 Sep 2026
Raghav Chadha’s Voter Deletion Sparks Fresh AAP-BJP Clash
Raghav Chadha is a Member of Parliament whose name was left out of a temporary voter list in Punjab.
The list said he had permanently moved away.
Chadha says his voter registration is in Mohali and that he voted there in 2024.
He believes the deletion was deliberate political revenge after he left the Aam Aadmi Party and joined the BJP.
He also says election rules should have kept his name on the draft list while officials checked the records.
The Aam Aadmi Party and Punjab officials deny removing his name or controlling the decision.
They say the Election Commission runs the voter-list review and that Chadha mainly lives in Delhi.
AAP also alleges that he sought a backdated voter registration in Delhi, but this claim has not been independently established.
Chadha can challenge the classification before the final list is published.
BJP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha’s name was marked “permanently shifted” in Punjab’s draft electoral rolls.
Chadha accused the AAP-led Punjab government of political vendetta after he joined the BJP.
He said Election Commission guidelines required identified public representatives to remain on draft rolls for verification.
AAP and Punjab officials denied involvement, saying the Election Commission of India conducts the Special Intensive Revision.
Chadha can file claims or objections by September 12 before Punjab’s final roll is scheduled for October 12, 2026.
- Who
- BJP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha, the Aam Aadmi Party, Punjab officials and the Election Commission of India are involved.
- What
- Chadha’s name was removed from Punjab’s draft Special Intensive Revision roll and marked “permanently shifted,” prompting competing allegations.
- When
- The Punjab draft roll was published on August 13, 2026; reports were published on September 3, and claims and objections close on September 12. The final roll is scheduled for October 12, 2026.
- Where
- The dispute concerns Punjab, particularly Chadha’s voter registration in Mohali, also known as Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, and his earlier registration in Delhi.
- Why
- Chadha alleges political vendetta and a breach of SIR guidelines, while AAP and Punjab officials say the Election Commission manages the process and that Chadha primarily resides in Delhi.
Chadha and BJP position
AAP and Punjab officials’ position
Political motive
Chadha and BJP position
Chadha says the deletion was deliberate political vendetta linked to his departure from AAP and his move to the BJP.
AAP and Punjab officials’ position
AAP and Punjab officials reject the allegation as false and deny using the voter-roll process against him.
Control of the revision
Chadha and BJP position
Chadha argues that officials involved in the process are Punjab government employees and may face pressure because the state controls their transfers and postings.
AAP and Punjab officials’ position
AAP and a senior Punjab official say the Special Intensive Revision is conducted by the Election Commission of India, which decides whose names are included or deleted.
Residence and registration
Chadha and BJP position
Chadha says he is a sitting Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab, has voter registration in Mohali and voted there in 2024, so he should not have been marked permanently shifted.
AAP and Punjab officials’ position
AAP says Chadha lives in Delhi and that maintaining or transferring his voter registration was his own responsibility.
Delhi registration allegation
Chadha and BJP position
Chadha disputes the implication that his voter registration status justified the deletion and says he will use the claims process to correct it.
AAP and Punjab officials’ position
AAP alleges that Chadha attempted to secure Delhi voter registration through a backdated process and says any unlawful action should be investigated; the allegation has not been independently established.
Procedural compliance
Chadha and BJP position
Chadha says Paragraph 4(d) required identified MPs and other public representatives to remain on the draft roll so documents could be collected during the claims period.
AAP and Punjab officials’ position
AAP and Punjab officials maintain that the state government cannot be blamed for a deletion carried out under the Election Commission’s revision process.
- Deletion classification
- Chadha’s entry appeared in the list covering absent, shifted, deceased and duplicate voters, with the notation “permanently shifted.”
- Punjab draft deletions
- About 20.66 lakh names, or 9.7% of Punjab’s pre-SIR electorate, were removed.
- Nationwide deletions
- An estimated 13.37 crore names were deleted from draft electoral rolls across the country during the SIR exercise.
- Claims period
- Affected voters in Punjab can file claims or objections from August 13 through September 12, 2026.
- Final roll date
- Punjab’s final SIR electoral roll is scheduled for publication on October 12, 2026.
- Registration history
- Chadha was registered in Delhi in 2022, later shifted his registration to Mohali, and voted there in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
- Guideline cited
- Chadha cited Paragraph 4(d) of the Election Commission’s June 24, 2025, SIR guidelines concerning public representatives and other identified public figures.
Sources
BJP MP Raghav Chadha alleges 'political vendetta' after his name gets deleted from draft SIR rolls; AAP hits back
‘Political vendetta’: BJP MP Raghav Chadha marked ‘shifted’ in Punjab voter rolls; AAP hits back
‘I Am Sitting Rajya Sabha MP’: Raghav Chadha Accuses AAP Of ‘Political Vendetta’ Over Missing Name In Punjab Draft SIR
No role of state govt in SIR: AAP on Raghav Chadha’s allegations of political vendetta
Raghav Chadha Vs AAP: Missing Name In Punjab's Draft Voter Rolls Sparks Fresh Political War
