BJP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha has accused the ruling Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab of political vendetta after his name was deleted from the state’s draft electoral rolls during the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision. Chadha, who earlier represented the AAP before switching to the BJP earlier this year, said his name was wrongly placed in the Absent, Shifted, Deceased and Duplicate category and marked as “permanently shifted”. He has rejected the classification and said he will formally challenge the deletion.
The issue has triggered a fresh political fight in Punjab, with Raghav Chadha alleging that the electoral roll process was deliberately used to target political opponents. The Election Commission published the updated draft rolls as part of the revision exercise. Reportedly, Chadha said the rules require sitting Members of Parliament to remain on the draft rolls even when their entries are flagged, with verification allowed during the public claims period.
Raghav Chadha cites voting record while challenging deletion from Punjab rolls
Raghav Chadha pointed out that he had voted from SAS Nagar (Mohali) in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections after shifting his voter base from Delhi. He said the latest deletion therefore raises questions about how his entry was classified during the revision.
As per reports, he plans to submit objections and seek restoration of his name before the final electoral roll is published. The controversy comes as affected voters have a statutory one-month period, running through mid-September, to submit claims and seek reinstatement of names removed from the draft list.
Raghav Chadha faces pushback from Punjab government and AAP
The Punjab administration has rejected the allegation of government interference. Senior officials said the revision is handled entirely by the Election Commission of India through the Chief Electoral Officer and that the state government has no role in the process.
According to reports, AAP leaders have also pushed back against Raghav Chadha’s allegations, saying voter list management is the responsibility of independent election authorities. The party argued that Chadha mainly resides in Delhi and that maintaining or transferring his voter registration is an individual responsibility, not a matter for the state government.
Raghav Chadha row highlights rules for MPs and electoral rolls
Under Indian election laws, having an active electoral roll entry somewhere in the country is a key requirement for retaining a seat in Parliament. However, removal from a draft roll does not immediately affect an MP’s legislative status. The affected elector can use the claims period to challenge the exclusion before the final list is issued.
The dispute has now widened into a political battle over the revision process, with Raghav Chadha accusing the AAP government of targeting him while the administration and AAP deny any role in the deletion. The final electoral rolls will determine whether his name is restored following the objections process.
Khalid Lateef is a Sub-Editor at NewsX Digital, specializing in Indian politics and global affairs. He also covers viral trending stories and major crime developments.
