Chadha alleges 'vendetta' in Punjab SIR

Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha claims his entry on the draft electoral roll in Punjab is evidence of a political vendetta from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. The BJP-turned MP, who was previously an AAP nominee in 2022, argues that his voter ID is registered in Mohali, Punjab, and he questions why his name was classified as "shifted" despite him still being a state MP.

Chadha asserts that this is not a clerical error but a deliberate act of political retaliation. He alleges that AAP-appointed officials at every stage of the verification process are to blame for his classification. Chadha also contends that other former AAP leaders who switched to the BJP have faced similar targeting. He claims that the officials involved are vulnerable to political pressure because their careers depend on the state administration once their electoral duty ends.

Chadha points to Paragraph 4(d) of the Election Commission of India's Detailed Guidelines for the SIR, which mandates a protected list for public representatives and other flagged individuals. He argues that his inclusion in the draft electoral rolls should have been protected under this guideline, but it was wilfully violated in his case.