AAP hits back at Chadha over ‘shifted’ voter status, denies Punjab govt role

Chadha, who switched sides from the AAP to the BJP in April, on Wednesday took strong exception to the development and said it could not be dismissed as a routine clerical or administrative discrepancy

A day after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha alleged political vendetta after his name was marked as “shifted” in the draft electoral rolls, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday accused him of attempting to get his voter registration transferred to Delhi through a “backdated process” and trying to shift the blame onto the Punjab government.

The AAP also alleged that Chadha was attempting to get his voter registration made in Rajinder Nagar, Delhi, through a backdated process. (HT FILE)

Chadha, who switched sides from the AAP to the BJP in April, on Wednesday took strong exception to the development and said it could not be dismissed as a routine clerical or administrative discrepancy. In a post on X, he alleged that the electoral roll revision process was being used to settle political scores against him.

Dismissing Chadha’s claims, the AAP, in a post on X, said the Election Commission was conducting the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and maintained that the Punjab government had no role in deciding whose name was included in or deleted from the voter lists.

“It is a matter of public record that Chadha has been living in Delhi and not in Punjab. If he no longer resides in Punjab, maintaining or shifting his voter registration was his own responsibility. He cannot now blame the AAP or the Punjab government for the deletion of a voter entry,” the party said.

The AAP also alleged that Chadha was attempting to get his voter registration made in Rajinder Nagar, Delhi, through a backdated process. “If any such backdated or unlawful exercise has taken place, it must be investigated and the entire truth brought before the public,” the party said.

However, a senior Election Commission functionary rejected the allegation of any back-channel effort to include Chadha’s name in Delhi’s electoral rolls, saying: “There was, and there is no such move whatsoever”.

Status changed after verification process, says Mohali admn

The Mohali administration, meanwhile, said Chadha’s voter status was changed only after the prescribed verification process. According to a senior administration officer, Chadha’s voter registration was recorded at a flat in Regency Heights, Sector 90.

During the verification exercise, booth-level officer (BLO) Daljeet Singh visited the address on three separate occasions but found the flat locked each time.

“After completing the prescribed formalities, his status was marked as ‘shifted’ in the draft electoral rolls,” the officer said.

The administration clarified that the status in the draft rolls was not final. The final electoral rolls are scheduled to be published on October 12 and voters can file claims and objections during the ongoing revision process if their names or particulars require correction.

Chadha had registered as a voter at the Sector 90 address after entering into a rent agreement for a flat in Regency Heights, a housing society owned by AAP legislator Kulwant Singh. He had also cast his vote from the constituency during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.