Name missing from draft electoral roll; Raghav Chadha accuses Punjab government

Chandigarh: A political row has erupted after the name of BJP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha was missing from the draft electoral roll in Punjab.

Chadha alleged that his exclusion was part of political vendetta by the Punjab government. His name has been removed from the draft roll under the category of "permanently shifted".

Chadha, who was earlier a member of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), joined the BJP in April this year.

Chadha said Election Commission guidelines require the names of sitting MPs to be retained in the draft electoral roll even if there are doubts or objections regarding their inclusion, allowing the matter to be examined during the period provided for public claims and objections.

He alleged that his removal was a deliberate move carried out in violation of established procedures and accused the government of manipulating electoral rolls to target political opponents.

Chadha said that after transferring his vote from Delhi, he had cast his ballot at a polling booth in SAS Nagar (Mohali) during the 2024 Lok Sabha election. He said he would file an official complaint and have his name restored before the final electoral roll is published.

Senior Punjab government officials, however, rejected Chadha's allegations. They said the electoral roll revision process is carried out entirely under the direct supervision of the Election Commission and that the state government has no role in the process.

The final electoral roll in Punjab will be published on October 12. Those whose names have been excluded at the draft stage have until September 12 to file claims and seek their inclusion in the electoral roll.