Breaking: Raghav Chadha’s voter claim; August 13 Punjab roll was only a draft: Sources
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, September 3, 2026: Sources in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Punjab, have clarified that the electoral rolls published on August 13 were draft rolls, and not the final electoral rolls for the state.
The sources said the matter has been examined and the relevant entries will be reflected in accordance with the Election Commission of India’s instructions in the final electoral roll, which is scheduled to be published on October 12, 2026.
The clarification comes amid a controversy over the electoral status of BJP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha, who had claimed that his name was marked as “shifted” in the draft electoral rolls in Punjab. The clarification from the CEO office sources does not specifically address Chadha’s allegation.
Chadha, who has his voter registration in Mohali, had alleged that the classification of his name as “shifted” was a case of political vendetta by the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab.
In a post on X, Chadha said he was a sitting Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab and questioned why his name had been classified as “shifted”. He also pointed out that the rolls published at that stage were not final and said names could be corrected during the ongoing Claims and Objections process.
Chadha further claimed that the Election Commission’s detailed guidelines for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) provide a “protected list” for public representatives, including MPs and MLAs, and alleged that the provision had been “wilfully violated” in his case.
He said he was already availing the remedies available under the SIR guidelines.
The Aam Aadmi Party has rejected Chadha’s allegations and accused him of attempting to shift his voter registration to Delhi through a backdated process. The party has also maintained that the Punjab government has no role in the preparation of electoral rolls.
The final electoral roll for Punjab will be published on October 12, 2026, according to sources in the CEO office.