A political controversy has erupted in Punjab after Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha alleged that his name was removed from the state’s draft electoral roll and marked as “shifted” during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists.

Chadha has accused the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government of political vendetta, arguing that his voter registration remains in Mohali and that there was no justification for classifying him as a shifted voter. The allegation has triggered a sharp response from AAP and the Punjab government, which have denied any involvement in the preparation or alteration of electoral rolls.

The dispute comes amid the ongoing nationwide SIR exercise, under which electoral rolls are being reviewed to identify voters who may have died, permanently shifted residence, have duplicate registrations or are otherwise ineligible. In Punjab, around 20.66 lakh names were removed from the draft electoral roll as part of the exercise.

Chadha calls removal political retaliation

Chadha said the inclusion of his name among voters classified as permanently shifted was not a simple administrative or clerical issue. He alleged that the Punjab government had extended what he described as its politics of revenge to the electoral-roll revision process.

The Rajya Sabha MP said he remains a registered voter in Mohali and questioned why his name was not retained in the draft roll. He also pointed to guidelines governing the SIR exercise, arguing that elected representatives are expected to be appropriately accounted for in the draft electoral rolls.

However, Chadha acknowledged that the current list is only a draft and not the final electoral roll. He said this provided an opportunity to challenge the classification through the prescribed claims-and-objections process.

He indicated that he would take the necessary steps to have the alleged error corrected before the final electoral roll is published.

AAP denies involvement

The AAP government has rejected Chadha’s allegations and maintained that the Punjab administration has no role in deciding which names are added to or removed from electoral rolls.

According to the government, the SIR exercise is being conducted under the authority of the Election Commission, while the electoral-roll revision process is handled by officials appointed for that purpose. The state government has therefore denied that it could have ordered or influenced the removal of Chadha’s name.

AAP has also questioned Chadha’s electoral residence status, arguing that he is currently based in Delhi. The party has maintained that if Chadha has shifted his residence outside Punjab, responsibility for updating his voter registration lies with him.

The party has consequently rejected the allegation that the removal was an act of political retaliation by the Punjab government.

Dispute intensifies after Chadha’s exit from AAP

The controversy has acquired an additional political dimension because of Chadha’s recent departure from AAP.

Chadha was previously one of the party’s prominent young leaders and had emerged as a significant political figure in Punjab and at the national level. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab in 2022 as an AAP nominee.

His relationship with the party subsequently deteriorated. In April 2026, Chadha joined the Bharatiya Janata Party after leaving AAP, along with several other Rajya Sabha MPs. His departure marked a major political shift and intensified tensions between him and his former party.

Chadha’s allegation that his name has now been marked as shifted from Punjab’s electoral roll comes against this backdrop. He has connected the development to the political hostility that followed his departure from AAP.

AAP, however, has denied that the issue has anything to do with Chadha’s political affiliation or his decision to join the BJP.

What does ‘shifted’ mean?

The “shifted” classification is part of the electoral-roll verification process. During revision exercises, authorities examine voter records to identify individuals who may no longer reside at the address where they are registered.

Such classifications do not necessarily mean that a person has permanently lost the right to vote. Since the Punjab list is currently a draft, affected voters have an opportunity to provide documents, submit claims and raise objections.

The election authorities are expected to examine such representations before publishing the final electoral roll.

In Chadha’s case, the key question will be whether the authorities accept his claim that he continues to be eligible as a voter in Punjab and whether his name is restored to the final list.

Larger questions over voter-roll revision

The dispute involving Chadha comes amid a much broader debate over the SIR exercise and the large-scale revision of electoral rolls.

Supporters of the exercise argue that regular verification is necessary to maintain accurate voter lists and remove duplicate, deceased or permanently relocated voters. Critics, however, have raised concerns about the possibility of eligible voters being inadvertently excluded during large-scale revisions.

The removal of more than 20 lakh names from Punjab’s draft electoral roll has consequently attracted considerable attention. The claims-and-objections stage will be important in determining how many names are eventually restored to the final list.

Chadha’s case has added a high-profile political figure to that debate, making the issue particularly sensitive.

Final electoral roll will determine Chadha’s status

For now, Chadha’s exclusion remains part of the draft electoral roll and does not represent a final decision on his voter status.

The next stage will involve the submission and examination of claims and objections. Chadha is expected to use this process to challenge his classification as shifted and seek restoration of his name.

The controversy is likely to remain politically contentious, with Chadha maintaining that he has been targeted and AAP insisting that neither the party nor the Punjab government has any role in the decision.

The final electoral roll, expected to be published in October, will ultimately establish whether Chadha’s name is restored and clarify the status of his voter registration in Punjab.