Raghav Chadha Slams AAP Over ‘Permanently Shifted’ Tag In Punjab Draft SIR

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

Chadha, who was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab as an AAP candidate in 2022 before joining the BJP this year, said his voter registration is in Mohali and questioned why he had been classified as a shifted voter.

He said the issue could still be corrected as the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process allows voters to file claims and objections before the final electoral rolls are issued.

“Thankfully, these are only the Draft Electoral Rolls, not the Final Electoral Rolls,” Chadha said, adding that he had begun using the remedies available under the SIR guidelines. The final rolls in Punjab are scheduled to be published in October.

Chadha Alleges Political Pressure

Chadha alleged that his name being marked as shifted was not simply a clerical error but part of a deliberate attempt to target him after his departure from AAP.

He questioned which official had classified his entry as “shifted” and alleged that officials involved at different stages of the revision process could face political pressure because the state government controls their postings and transfers.

The BJP leader claimed that officials from the booth level upwards are involved in the electoral revision exercise and alleged that the state government could use its administrative machinery to influence the process.

Chadha also linked the development to his decision to leave AAP, alleging that other former AAP leaders who joined the BJP had similarly faced action from the Punjab government.

Chadha Cites ECI Guidelines

Chadha referred to the Election Commission’s SIR guidelines and claimed that elected representatives fall under a “protected list” of public representatives whose names should be retained in the draft electoral rolls if identified during the exercise.

He said that as a sitting MP from Punjab, his name should have remained on the draft rolls if it had been flagged during the revision.

“AAP may run the Punjab Government, but Punjab’s Draft Electoral Rolls are not its private property,” Chadha said.

AAP Rejects Allegations

The AAP rejected Chadha’s accusations and said the Special Intensive Revision is conducted by the Election Commission, not the state government.

The party claimed that Chadha was attempting to shift responsibility to AAP after his name was excluded from the draft rolls. It also alleged that he has been residing in Delhi rather than Punjab and questioned why the Punjab government should be held responsible for his voter registration.

AAP further alleged that Chadha was attempting to restore his voter registration in Delhi through a backdated process and called for an investigation if any unlawful action had taken place.

What Happened To Chadha’s Voter Entry?

According to Election Commission records cited in reports, Chadha’s name appears among voters removed from Punjab’s draft electoral roll under categories including absent, shifted, deceased and duplicate voters. His entry has reportedly been marked “permanently shifted”.

Punjab published its draft SIR electoral rolls on August 13, with around 20.66 lakh names removed, representing roughly 9.7% of the pre-revision electorate.

The claims and objections process is open until September 12, while the final electoral rolls are scheduled to be published on October 12.

Chadha was initially registered as a voter in Delhi when he contested the 2022 Rajya Sabha election. After being elected to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab, he shifted his voter registration to Mohali and reportedly voted there during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

As of Wednesday, searches using his voter ID details on the Election Commission’s Voter Services Portal reportedly returned no result for either Delhi or Punjab.