Chadha was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab as an AAP member in 2022He later joined the BJP in April this year along with six other AAP Rajya Sabha MPs.
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https://www.india.com/news/india/ever-since-i-left-corrupt-aap-raghav-chadha-accuses-punjab-govt-of-political-revenge-after-marked-permanently-shifted-voter-in-sir-rolls-8515729/
‘Ever since I left corrupt AAP…’: Raghav Chadha accuses Punjab govt of political revenge after marked ‘shifted’ voter in SIR rolls (Image: PTI/File)
BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha has accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government of deliberately removing his name from the voter list in MohaliChadha claimed that his voter record has been marked as “permanently shifted” in the draft electoral rolls prepared as part of the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
In a post on X, Chadha alleged that the move was part of what he described as political retaliation by the Punjab governmentHe said he is a sitting Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab and has his voter ID registered in Mohali.
According to Chadha, the action is against the safeguards under the SIR guidelines that are meant to protect the names of elected representatives from being removed without following the required procedure.
However, Chadha clarified that the electoral rolls currently being discussed are only draft rolls and not the final voter listHe said there is still an opportunity to challenge or correct errors through the ongoing Claims and Objections process.
He said he has already started using the remedies available under the SIR guidelines to get the issue resolved.
The AAP government in Punjab has now taken its politics of revenge to the Draft Electoral Rolls.
I am a sitting Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab, with my voter ID registered in Mohali, PunjabYet my name has been classified as “shifted” in the draft electoral rolls.
Thankfully,… pic.twitter.com/laAFAAWYiQ
— Raghav Chadha (@raghav_chadha) September 3, 2026
The final electoral rolls are scheduled to be published in October 2026.
Chadha’s political shift from AAP to BJP
Chadha was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab as an AAP member in 2022He later joined the BJP in April this year along with six other AAP Rajya Sabha MPsThe group joined the BJP by invoking the merger provision under the anti-defection law.
Chadha’s latest allegation comes amid the ongoing revision of electoral rolls in Punjab, with the Election Commission examining and updating voter records as part of the SIR exercise.
Chadha alleges political vendetta over voter record
Chadha claimed that the decision to mark his voter record as “shifted” was not a simple administrative error but a deliberate act of political revengeHe questioned how the classification was made and alleged that officials linked to the Punjab government were involved at different stages of the process.
“Who marked me as ‘shifted’? An official of the AAP Punjab governmentWho verified it? Again, an official of the AAP governmentWho processed it at the higher level? Once again, an official of the same government,” Chadha alleged.
He further claimed that several officials involved in the electoral roll revision process, from the Booth Level Officer (BLO) to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Punjab, are state government officials.
According to Chadha, BLOs are generally junior employees of the Punjab government, while Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs), Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and District Election Officers (DEOs) are also drawn from the state administrationHe said the Chief Electoral Officer is an IAS officer belonging to the Punjab cadre.
Chadha alleged that these officials could face pressure because the state government has control over their transfers, postings and other career-related decisions after their election duties are completed.
He claimed that this system allows the AAP government to use administrative officials to exert political pressure and target opponents.
‘Other AAP leaders also targeted’
Chadha also alleged that the incident was part of a wider pattern of action against leaders who have left the AAP.
He claimed that after he and other leaders quit the party and joined the BJP, the Punjab government and police machinery were being used against them.
According to Chadha, other MPs who left the AAP and joined the BJP have also faced similar targetingHe described the alleged change in his voter record as the latest example of what he called political vendetta.
Chadha cites election commission guidelines
Chadha also referred to Paragraph 4(d) of the Election Commission of India’s Detailed Guidelines for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
He said the provision requires the names of certain public figures, including elected representatives, to be retained in the draft electoral rolls even if their names have been flagged during the revision processSuch individuals can then be asked to provide the required documents during the Claims and Objections period.
Chadha argued that, as a sitting Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab, his name should have remained on the draft voter list even if his record had been flagged for some reason.
He alleged that the provision was deliberately ignored in his case.
Chadha further said that while the AAP controls the Punjab government, the state’s draft electoral rolls cannot be treated as the party’s personal property.
The allegations come amid the ongoing SIR exercise, during which electoral records are being reviewed and updated before the final voter rolls are published.
