Highlights
- Raghav Chadha’s name added to Delhi voter list, removed from Punjab list.
- AAP asked, how did Chadha get included at number 747 in the list of 746 voters?
- Chadha said- I followed all the guidelines and prescribed procedures of the Election Commission.
New Delhi: The name of Raghav Chadha, BJP Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab, has been added to the Delhi voter list. The voter list is being updated under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in Delhi. Chadha’s name has been included in the Delhi voter list during this process. Simultaneously, his name has been removed from the Punjab voter list. Chadha had reached the Rajya Sabha as an Aam Aadmi Party candidate from Punjab. It should be noted that Raghav Chadha’s name had disappeared from the Punjab draft voter list, after which the BJP MP had expressed his displeasure .
‘There were 746 voters in the draft voter list’
After Raghav Chadha’s name was added to the Delhi voter list, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has questioned the Election Commission’s process. AAP’s Delhi unit chief Saurabh Bhardwaj claimed that in the draft voter list released on August 31, there were 746 voters in the respective polling station, but later Raghav Chadha’s name was added as the 747th voter. According to Bhardwaj, the name of Raghav Chadha, father Sunil Chadha, age 37, is registered at serial number 747 in the Rajinder Nagar voter list.
Under what process was the name added?
The AAP leader also referred to Chadha’s statement of September 3, in which he had said that after his name was removed from the draft voter list of Punjab, he would re-register as a voter in Punjab. Saurabh Bhardwaj questioned the process by which the 747th name was added when there were 746 names in the draft list. He demanded that the Election Commission clarify the entire process. Bhardwaj said that if the Election Commission provides information about this process, it could also help the 4.7 million people whose names have been removed from the draft voter list and who are trying to get their names added again.
‘I followed all the rules’
Raghav Chadha hit back at AAP’s allegations. He called them baseless and stated that he had followed all applicable Election Commission guidelines and procedures. In his statement, Chadha said that AAP and its leaders have been continuously targeting him since he left the party. He sarcastically said that it seems he is harassing Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party and is thinking about them day and night, trying to attack them.
‘Looking for arguments to prove the allegations’
Regarding the allegations regarding voter registration, Chadha said that the allegations were first made and then arguments were being made to prove them. He said that the facts are absolutely clear. He has followed all applicable Election Commission guidelines and procedures and utilized prescribed legal remedies. Chadha also accused the AAP of conflating the electoral rolls and the party’s membership register. He said that the AAP has mistaken the two things for one thing and wants to work differently to remove those who leave Arvind Kejriwal’s party.
How is the voter list being updated during SIR?
An official in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Delhi stated that as of Tuesday, a total of 700 Form-6s had been approved across Delhi’s 70 assembly constituencies. These forms are used to apply for new voters’ names to be added to the voter list. Raghav Chadha’s name is among the approved names.
According to the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer’s office, the voter list was frozen on June 16th for the preparation of the SIR. This process continued until August 31st, and the draft voter list was published on the same day. During this period, approximately 2.14 lakh Form-6 applications were received for adding names of new voters. Apart from this, Form-7 and Form-8 were also submitted for deletion of names or any other changes. After the draft voter list was released, an opportunity was given to file claims and objections. During this period, 25,011 more Form-6 applications were submitted in just 8 days. These applications were received till September 7th.
The Delhi CEO’s office stated that all Form-6 applications received before the SIR and during the claims-objections period are being scrutinized. Form-7 and Form-8 applications have also been included in the process. Based on the approved applications, new names will be added to the voter database, names will be removed, or necessary changes will be made. According to the Delhi CEO’s office, a supplementary list of newly added voters will be published on November 4th, along with the final voter list.
