BJP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha’s name has been added to Delhi’s electoral rolls as the national capital undergoes a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of its voter lists, officials said on Tuesday, triggering a political dispute with his former party, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Chadha’s name was added to the electoral roll of the Rajinder Nagar assembly constituency through the prescribed updation process, according to officials from the Delhi chief electoral officer’s office. His name has also been removed from the electoral rolls in Punjab, from where he was earlier elected to the Rajya Sabha as an AAP member.
The development came after AAP leaders questioned the inclusion of Chadha’s name in the Delhi rolls, alleging that the entry was made without following the required procedure.
Delhi election officials, however, said Chadha’s inclusion was part of the routine electoral roll updation process. They said 700 applications for inclusion of names had been approved by electoral registration officers (EROs) across all 70 assembly constituencies in Delhi by Tuesday, with Chadha’s application among those approved.
The Delhi CEO’s office said the electoral roll was frozen on 16 June for the SIR exercise and remained frozen until 31 August, when the draft electoral rolls were published.
During the pre-SIR period, around 2.14 lakh Form-6 applications seeking inclusion of new voters, along with Forms 7 and 8, were submitted. A further 25,011 Form-6 applications were filed during the claims and objections period in the eight days up to 7 September.
According to the Delhi CEO’s office, all Form-6 applications submitted during the pre-SIR period and the claims and objections period are being processed along with Forms 7 and 8. Once applications are approved, the corresponding additions, deletions or modifications are reflected in the electoral database.
The additions will be published in a supplementary electoral roll scheduled for 4 November.
AAP leaders raised questions over Chadha’s inclusion in the Rajinder Nagar electoral roll, pointing out that the draft roll published on 31 August listed 746 voters in the relevant polling part.
AAP Delhi unit chief Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that Chadha subsequently appeared as the 747th voter. He said the entry listed “Raghav Chadha”, son of Sunil Chadha, aged 37, at serial number 747.
Bharadwaj questioned how the additional entry could be made after the publication of the draft roll and sought an explanation from the Election Commission on the procedure followed.
The AAP has also alleged that Chadha’s name was included without due process. Election officials, however, have maintained that the inclusion followed the electoral roll updation mechanism.
Responding to the allegations, Chadha accused the AAP leadership of targeting him after his departure from the party.
He said he had followed all applicable Election Commission guidelines and procedures and used the prescribed remedies for updating his electoral registration.
Chadha also accused the AAP of confusing electoral rolls with its party membership records, arguing that the controversy was politically motivated.
The dispute comes against the backdrop of Chadha’s political shift from the AAP to the BJP and his move from Punjab’s electoral rolls to Delhi’s, adding a political dimension to what election officials describe as a routine voter-list updation process.
The final electoral rolls for Delhi are scheduled to be published on 4 November, with approved additions to be reflected in the supplementary list.