‘Punjab govt has no role’: AAP counters Raghav Chadha over voter roll controversy

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has hit back at former party leader and Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha over his allegation that the Punjab government deliberately targeted him by marking him as “shifted” in the state's draft electoral rolls.

Rejecting Chadha's charge of political vendetta, the AAP said the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is conducted by the Election Commission and not the Punjab government. The party also raised questions over Chadha's alleged attempt to secure voter registration in Delhi through what it described as a backdated process.

The latest exchange has intensified a political row surrounding Chadha's name in Punjab's draft electoral rolls, with both sides accusing each other of wrongdoing.

What is the Raghav Chadha voter roll controversy?

The controversy began after Chadha said his name had been classified as “shifted” in the draft electoral rolls despite being a sitting Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab with his voter ID registered in Mohali.

Chadha alleged that the classification was not a clerical error but part of a politically motivated exercise by the AAP-led Punjab government. He said he was pursuing remedies available under the SIR guidelines during the ongoing Claims and Objections process.

He also pointed to provisions in the Election Commission of India's guidelines concerning public representatives, arguing that as a sitting MP, his name should have been included in the draft electoral rolls even if it had been flagged during the revision process.

Chadha further alleged that officials involved in the electoral roll exercise were Punjab government employees and claimed that administrative pressure was being used for political purposes.

The former AAP leader said the party had targeted him and other leaders who left the party and joined the BJP.

AAP says Punjab government has no role in voter roll decisions

Responding to Chadha's allegations, the AAP said he was attempting to blame the Punjab government for a process carried out by the Election Commission.

“SIR is conducted by the Election Commission, not the state government,” the party said, adding that the Punjab government had no role in deciding whose name was included or deleted from the electoral roll.

The AAP also claimed that it was a matter of public record that Chadha had been living in Delhi rather than Punjab. It said that if he no longer resided in Punjab, it was his responsibility to maintain or shift his voter registration accordingly.

The party said Chadha could not hold the AAP or the Punjab government responsible for the status of his voter entry.

AAP raises claim over Delhi voter registration

In its response, the AAP also made a separate allegation regarding Chadha's voter registration in Delhi.

The party said it had received information from Election Commission sources that Chadha was attempting to get his voter registration made in Delhi's Rajinder Nagar through a backdated process.

AAP said any such backdated or unlawful exercise, if it had taken place, should be investigated and the facts placed before the public.

“If the BJP or anyone else has facilitated any such backdated entry, we will pursue the matter to its logical conclusion and expose the truth,” the party said.

Chadha, meanwhile, has maintained that his classification as “shifted” in Punjab's draft electoral rolls was a case of political vendetta and has said he is availing the remedies provided under the SIR process.