CHANDIGARH — A major political controversy has erupted following the publication of Punjab’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) draft electoral rolls, which classified sitting Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha as a “shifted” voter in his Mohali constituency.
Chadha, who defected from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) earlier this year, accused the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab Government of manipulating the draft rolls for political revenge. In response, AAP dismissed the allegations, citing Election Commission guidelines and alleging procedural irregularities on Chadha’s part.
Claims and Allegations by Raghav Chadha
Chadha claimed that his classification under the “shifted” category in the Mohali voter list was deliberate rather than administrative.
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Allegation of Administrative Bias: Chadha stated that lower and mid-level electoral officers—including Booth Level Officers (BLOs), Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs), and District Election Officers (DEOs)—are state government employees subject to posting and transfer pressures from the state administration.
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Violation of ECI Guidelines: Citing Paragraph 4(d) of the Election Commission of India (ECI) SIR manual, Chadha argued that sitting MPs and MLAs fall under a protected category where flagged names must be retained in draft rolls to allow due process for claims and objections.
Counter-Claims and Administrative Response
The Aam Aadmi Party and state election authorities rejected allegations of political interference in the ECI-managed process.
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AAP Response: AAP stated that the SIR exercise is conducted independently under the direct jurisdiction of the Election Commission of India, leaving state governments with no legal authority over voter additions or deletions. The party further cited media reports alleging Chadha attempted to backdate a voter registration transfer to Delhi.
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Chief Electoral Officer Statement: Punjab CEO Anindita Mitra confirmed that she has requested a detailed factual report from district election authorities regarding the status of Chadha’s entry.
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Process for Claims and Objections: Mitra emphasized that the draft roll revision remains open for public scrutiny, with September 13, 2026, set as the final deadline for filing claims, objections, and corrections ahead of the final electoral roll publication in October 2026.
Political Context
The dispute underscores heightened political friction between the ruling AAP and the BJP in Punjab ahead of the upcoming 2027 state assembly elections, bringing sharp public focus to the administrative execution and transparency of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision exercise across the state.
