Raghav Chadha’s voter registration became the focus of a political dispute in New Delhi. AAP questioned his post-draft entry in Rajinder Nagar, while Chadha said he followed Election Commission procedures and available remedies.

BJP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha’s name has appeared on Delhi’s electoral roll days after it was removed from Punjab’s draft list, triggering a fresh confrontation between him and his former party, the Aam Aadmi Party.

Election officials said Chadha’s name was included in the electoral roll for the Rajinder Nagar Assembly constituency through the regular updating process. The development followed his September 3 allegation that his removal from Punjab’s draft electoral roll was an act of political vendetta.

The timing attracted attention because Delhi’s draft rolls under the Special Intensive Revision were published on August 31. Chadha’s name was reportedly among 700 inclusions approved across Delhi’s 70 Assembly constituencies by September 8.

AAP alleged that the entry was made without following the required procedure and demanded a detailed explanation from the Election Commission. Chadha rejected the allegation, saying he had complied with applicable ECI guidelines and used the remedies available to him.

The conflicting claims have turned what could have been an administrative voter-registration update into a politically charged debate over transparency and equal access to the electoral process.

Delhi’s electoral roll was frozen from June 16 to August 31 while officials conducted the SIR exercise. The draft roll was then published on August 31, opening the next stage for claims, objections and applications for inclusion.

According to the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer’s office, approximately 2.14 lakh Form 6 applications were received during the revision period. Another 25,011 applications were submitted during the claims-and-objections window up to September 7.

Form 6 is used by eligible citizens seeking inclusion in an electoral roll. Applications are examined by Electoral Registration Officers under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 and Election Commission instructions.

The Delhi CEO clarified that additions, deletions and corrections are processed through Forms 6, 7 and 8 respectively. This means publication of a draft roll does not permanently close the list; eligible applications can still be considered before the final roll is issued.

The final Delhi electoral roll is scheduled for publication on November 4. Normally, names approved after the draft stage are reflected in a supplementary component of the final roll.

AAP Delhi chief Saurabh Bharadwaj raised questions about Chadha’s appearance at serial number 747 in booth number 46 of the Rajinder Nagar constituency.

According to Bharadwaj, the August 31 draft roll for the booth ended with serial number 746 and did not contain Chadha’s name. A subsequent search on the Election Commission portal allegedly showed Chadha, son of Sunil Chadha, as voter number 747.

AAP asked how the addition was displayed before publication of the final roll and whether Chadha’s registration had been formally transferred from Punjab to Delhi. The party also sought clarity on whether the same Electoral Photo Identity Card number was used in both records.

The party described the entry as illegal, but that remains an allegation. Election officials said Chadha’s name was added through the prescribed updating process, while Chadha maintained that he followed the rules.

He responded sharply to AAP’s criticism, comparing the party’s behaviour to that of a bitter former partner and claiming he continued to dominate its political attention.

Chadha had been registered as a voter in Punjab since 2024. His name was marked as shifted and removed from the state’s draft roll during the SIR process, leading him to accuse the Punjab administration of political retaliation.

His subsequent appearance on Delhi’s roll has raised questions about when he applied, how the transfer was processed and whether his ordinary residence now qualifies him for registration in Rajinder Nagar.

Under election rules, a person can be registered only in the constituency where they are ordinarily resident and cannot remain enrolled in more than one place. The dispute therefore depends on the application records, residence documents and decisions made by the relevant Electoral Registration Officer.

The Delhi CEO’s explanation indicates that post-draft applications may legally be processed. However, a case-specific clarification would help establish the exact timeline of Chadha’s application and address questions surrounding booth number 46.

Until those records are explained, the issue is likely to remain part of the wider political debate over SIR, voter deletions and public confidence in electoral-roll revisions.