Raghav Chadha: BJP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha’s name added to Delhi voter list; AAP questions procedure | Delhi News
NEW DELHI: BJP Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab Raghav Chadha‘s name has been added to the Delhi electoral rolls currently being revised under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR), poll officials said on Tuesday.The development was raised by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders at a press conference, where they alleged that Chadha’s name had been included in the electoral roll of the Rajinder Nagar Assembly constituency without following due procedure, news agency PTI reported.Poll officials, however, said Chadha’s name was added to the Delhi electoral rolls through the updation process.His name was removed from the electoral rolls of Punjab, from where he was elected to the Rajya Sabha by his former party, AAP.“A total of 700 forms for inclusion of names in the electoral rolls were approval by the electoral registration officers (EROs) in 70 Assembly constituencies in Delhi till Tuesday. Chadha’s name was among them,” an official at the office of the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer said.The Delhi electoral roll was frozen on June 16 for preparation of the SIR and remained frozen until August 31, when the draft electoral rolls were published, according to a statement issued by the Delhi CEO’s office, PTI reported.During this period, around 2.14 lakh Form-6 applications for new voters, apart from Forms 7 and 8, were submitted by electors.During the claims and objections period, another 25,011 Form-6 applications were submitted in eight days till September 7 for inclusion of names in the final electoral rolls, the statement said.All Form-6 applications submitted for inclusion of names during the pre-SIR period or the claims and objections period are being processed along with Forms 7 and 8.Once the forms are approved, additions, deletions and modifications will be reflected in the electoral database, as applicable, it said.The Delhi CEO’s office said additions of electors would be published as a supplementary list on November 4.The AAP questioned how Chadha’s name was added to the draft electoral roll after the list for the concerned polling part showed 746 voters.The party sought an explanation from the Election Commission regarding the procedure followed, PTI reported.AAP Delhi unit chief Saurabh Bharadwaj said Chadha’s name appeared as the 747th voter in the Rajinder Nagar electoral roll, despite the draft roll published on August 31 showing 746 voters.Bharadwaj said the entry showed the name of Raghav Chadha, son of Sunil Chadha, aged 37, with serial number 747 in the electoral roll of the area.He questioned how the additional entry was made and said the Election Commission should clarify the procedure followed for adding Chadha’s name.(With agency inputs)
