Raghav Chadha cries vendetta over voter roll deletion; AAP says don’t blame us
Chadha questions how his name was classified as ‘permanently shifted’ if the AAP didn’t order it; AAP denies role, says EC conducts SIR and state govt has no role in it
Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha’s name has been knocked off the draft electoral rolls prepared after the Election Commission (EC)’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Drawing attention to the deletion in an X post, Chadha has called it a “political vendetta” against him by the AAP government in Punjab, which he alleges has “been burning with anger” since he left the party.
Name classified as ‘permanently shifted’
Chadha, elected as an AAP Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab in 2022, recently quit the Arvind Kejriwal-led party and joined the BJP.
He is among the estimated 13.37 crore names in the country and 20.66 lakh voters in Punjab whose names have been struck off from the draft rolls after the EC’s SIR.
Also read: Why Raghav Chadha lost nearly 1 million followers in 24 hours after joining BJP
His name instead appears in the ASDD (Absent, Shifted, Deceased and Duplicate) list published on August 13 with the reason behind the deletion cited as “permanently shifted”.
‘AAP burning with anger’
In a scathing post on X, Chadha said his name has been classified as “shifted” in the draft electoral rolls even though he is a sitting Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab and his voter ID is registered in Mohali.
He said the deletion doesn’t seem like a mere “clerical mistake” and appears to be a clear case of “political vendetta” by the AAP government in Punjab.
“Ever since I left the corrupt Aam Aadmi Party, its leadership has been burning with anger. It has unleashed the Punjab Police and the Punjab Government’s administrative machinery against those of us who refused to remain silent. Other MPs who left AAP and joined the BJP have also been targeted by Punjab Govt. This wrongful classification is only the latest act in that political vendetta,” Chadha alleged.
Chadha alleges AAP hand
He alleged that the deletion couldn’t have been done without the permission and knowledge of the government, which staffs everyone, starting from the Block Level Officer (BLO) to the Chief Electoral Officer of Punjab.
“From the BLO on the ground to the Chief Electoral Officer of Punjab, every operational level of this exercise is staffed by Punjab Government officials. The BLO is ordinarily a junior Punjab Government employee. The AEROs, EROs and DEOs in between are Punjab government officials. At the top is a Punjab-cadre IAS officer serving as the Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab,” he said.
Also read: Raghav Chadha: From Kejriwal’s blue-eyed boy to sidelined aide
“These officers know AAP Government controls their transfers, postings and careers once their electoral duty ends. They know who can transfer them and who can make their lives difficult. This is how the AAP government applies political pressure through state officers to execute the political revenge,” Chadha added.
He, however, said that he was thankful that the deletion was only made in the Draft Electoral Rolls and that the final list is yet to be drawn up. He said he is already in the process of availing the remedies provided under SIR guidelines to get enrolled in the final list which will be published in October.
AAP denies allegation
The AAP has rubbished the allegations, stating that the SIR is conducted by the EC and the state government has no role in it.
"SIR is conducted by the Election Commission, not the state government, so the Punjab Government has no role in deciding whose name is included or deleted from the electoral roll," the AAP replied to Chadha's allegations in a post on X.
Taking a dig at the former AAP leader, the party said that it is common knowledge that Chadha has been residing in Delhi and not in Punjab and hence, it was his responsibility to shift his voter registration to the city of his residence.
'Chadha attempting backdated registration'
"It is a matter of public record that Raghav 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 post said.
The party also alleged that Chadha was trying to get his voter registration made in Delhi's Rajinder Nagar through a backdated process and such "unlawful exercise" should be probed.
Also read: Raghav Chadha cites ‘toxic work environment’ in AAP for exit
Chadha’s name also doesn’t appear in Delhi's electoral details on the EC’s Voters’ Services Portal. Delhi’s draft SIR list was published on August 31.