‘Political vendetta’: Raghav Chadha challenges Punjab voter roll entry

Raghav Chadha’s name appearing as “shifted” in Punjab’s draft voter roll sparks a political row, with Chadha alleging vendetta and AAP hitting back

PGurus Newsdesk

September 3, 2026

Raghav Chadha’s name appearing as “shifted” in Punjab’s draft voter roll sparks a political row, with Chadha alleging vendetta and AAP hitting back

Chadha says his Mohali voter registration was wrongly marked “permanently shifted” in the draft roll

A fresh political fight has erupted in Punjab over the voter list, with BJP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha alleging that his name was deliberately marked as “permanently shifted” in the state’s draft electoral rolls.

Chadha, who was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab on an AAP ticket in 2022 before joining the BJP earlier this year, said his voter registration remains in Mohali and questioned how he could have been classified as having shifted out of the state.

Calling it more than a routine error, Chadha accused the AAP-led Punjab government of political vendetta. He claimed that officials involved at different stages of verification were appointed by the state government and suggested that his departure from AAP had triggered the alleged action.

“This does not seem like a mere clerical mistake,” Chadha said while questioning who had marked and verified his name as shifted.

AAP rejects charge, points to Election Commission

AAP has rejected Chadha’s allegations and said the Punjab government has no role in deciding which names are included in or removed from electoral rolls.

The party argued that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is being conducted under the Election Commission’s authority. AAP also accused Chadha of attempting to shift his voter registration to Delhi through what it described as a backdated process, saying he was now trying to blame the Punjab government for the consequences.

The controversy has therefore opened two competing narratives: Chadha alleges that the voter-roll exercise has been used to target him politically, while AAP maintains that the state administration is not responsible for the electoral revision.

Draft roll, not final list yet

Chadha’s name appears in the ASDD — Absent, Shifted, Deceased and Duplicate — list, with the reason recorded as “permanently shifted.” However, the current list is only a draft and the process allows voters to file claims and objections.

Chadha has said he is already pursuing the remedies available under the SIR guidelines. The final electoral rolls are expected to be published in October 2026, leaving room for corrections before the process concludes.

The episode comes at a politically sensitive time in Punjab, where Chadha’s move from AAP to BJP has already altered the equations within the state’s political landscape. His name appearing on the “shifted” list has now turned an electoral-roll exercise into another flashpoint between the former party colleague and his old political home.

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