BJP Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab Raghav Chadha's name has been added to Delhi's electoral rolls, which are currently being revised under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR), poll officials said. According to the news agency PTI, officials said Chadha's name was added to the Delhi voters' list through the electoral roll updation process. His name has subsequently been removed from the Punjab electoral rolls, from where he was elected to the Rajya Sabha as an AAP nominee.
"A total of 700 forms for inclusion of names in the electoral rolls were approval by the electoral registration officers (EROs) in 70 Assembly constituencies in Delhi till Tuesday. Chadha's name was among them," said an official at the office of Delhi Chief Electoral Officer.
AAP raises questions on EC process
After the addition of Chadha's name to the voters list of Delhi, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) questioned how the BJP MP's name was added after the list for the concerned polling part showed 746 voters and sought an explanation from the Election Commission on the process followed.
AAP Delhi unit chief Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that Chadha's name appeared as the 747th voter in the Rajinder Nagar electoral roll, despite the draft roll published on August 31 listing 746 voters.
Bharadwaj said the entry lists Raghav Chadha, son of Sunil Chadha, aged 37, at serial number 747 in the electoral roll for the area.
The AAP leader also cited Chadha's September 3 statement that he would register as a voter in Punjab after his name was deleted from the state's draft electoral roll.
Questioning how the additional entry was made, Bharadwaj sought clarification from the Election Commission on the procedure followed to add Chadha’s name to the Delhi electoral roll. "If the Election Commission explains this process, we can also tell the same process to the 47 lakh people whose names have been deleted from the draft electoral roll and who are trying to get their names added," Bharadwaj said.
'Followed ECI procedures': Raghav Chadha
Hitting back at AAP, Chadha called the allegations baseless and asserted that he had followed all applicable Election Commission guidelines and procedures.
In a statement, Chadha accused AAP and its leadership of repeatedly targeting him since he left the party. "I seem to be haunting Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party. Day and night, all they think about is Raghav Chadha and how to attack him," he said.
Chadha said AAP's latest allegations concerned his voter registration and accused the party of first deciding on an allegation and then attempting to find an argument to support it. "The facts are simple. I have followed all applicable ECI guidelines and procedures and availed the prescribed remedies," he said.
He further accused AAP of confusing electoral rolls with its party membership register. "AAP has confused 'electoral rolls' with its 'party membership register.' It wants to cut out everyone who walks away from Kejriwal and his corrupt AAP," Chadha said.
Chadha also alleged that AAP had created a dedicated effort to target him following his departure from the party.
Delhi SIR
The Delhi Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said the electoral roll was frozen on June 16 for the preparation of the SIR and remained frozen until August 31, when the draft electoral rolls were published.
During this period, around 2.14 lakh Form 6 applications for the inclusion of new voters were submitted, along with Form 7 and Form 8 applications.
Also, during the period of claims and objections period, another 25,011 Form 6 applications were submitted within eight days, up to September 7, for the inclusion of names in the final electoral rolls.
The Delhi CEO said all Form 6 applications submitted during the pre-SIR period and the claims and objections period are being processed along with Form 7 and Form 8 applications. Once approved, the additions, deletions and modifications will be reflected in the electoral database, as applicable.
The CEO's office said the supplementary list of newly added electors will be published on November 4, along with the final electoral rolls.
(With PTI, ANI inputs)
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