Delhi's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has rejected the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) allegation that BJP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha's name was added to the city's electoral roll without following the prescribed procedure.
The dispute comes amid a wider political row over Chadha's voter registration in Delhi and the marking of his name as "shifted" in Punjab's draft electoral roll.
AAP questions Chadha's Delhi voter entry
AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj on Tuesday questioned how Chadha's name appeared in the Delhi draft electoral roll while the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise was underway in both Delhi and Punjab.
Bharadwaj said Chadha had maintained that he was a voter in Punjab and would register his vote there again after the Election Commission of India (ECI) froze the electoral roll. The AAP leader also questioned the process through which Chadha's name was added in Delhi and alleged that he had sought a backdated entry in the Rajinder Nagar constituency.
“We do not believe this is a normal process. This is abnormal, and we have never seen this happen before,” Bharadwaj said.
Delhi CEO explains procedure
Delhi CEO Ashok Kumar said electoral roll entries can be added, deleted or modified only through Forms 6, 7 and 8. These applications are processed under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
The CEO's office said electors can submit the forms at any time of the year and reiterated its commitment to a "transparent and inclusive revision process".
The draft electoral roll following Delhi's SIR was published on August 31, based on enumeration forms collected between June 30 and August 17. Punjab published its draft roll on August 13.
Chadha rejects AAP allegations
Chadha said he had followed the applicable rules and procedures and used the remedies available to him.
“The AAP has confused ‘electoral rolls’ with its ‘party membership register.’ It wants to cut out everyone who walks away from (the party chief Arvind) Kejriwal and his corrupt AAP.”
Row began with Punjab voter roll
Chadha had earlier alleged that Punjab officials, including the BLO, AEROs and CEO, were responsible for placing his name in the "shifted" category.
He accused the state machinery of political pressure, saying officials knew their transfers and careers could be affected.
“It has unleashed the Punjab Police and the Punjab government’s administrative machinery against those of us who refused to remain silent.”
The AAP rejected his allegations, pointing out that the ECI, rather than the state government, is conducting the SIR.