'After Due Procedure': Delhi Poll Body On Addition Of Raghav Chadha's Name

Amid row over addition of BJP MP Raghav Chadha's name to Delhi voter list, currently being revised under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the national capital's electoral rolls, the Delhi poll body on Wednesday said the BJP MP filed Form 6 for inclusion in the Rajinder Nagar electoral roll on August 26 and his application was approved on September 2 after due procedure.

"As per record available, Raghav Chadha, MP (Rajya Sabha) applied for inclusion of his name in Form 6 in AC-39 (Rajinder Nagar) on August 26," the office of Delhi Chief Electoral Officer said.

Poll officials said that Chadha's name was added to the electoral rolls of Delhi through the updation process. His name was removed from the rolls of Punjab, from where he was sent to the Rajya Sabha by his previous party AAP.

Name of any elector is added, deleted and modified in the electoral roll only on the basis of form-6, 7 and 8, respectively, the poll body said.

These forms are disposed by the Electoral Registration Officers in accordance with the provisions laid down under "The Representation of People Act, 1950" and "The Registration of Electors Rules, 1960" and instruction of Election Commission.

"The Form was approved by the Electoral Registration Officer of the AC-39 (Rajinder Nagar) after completion of mandatory notice period of 7 days," the Delhi CEO office said, adding that the application was processed as per the procedure laid down by the Election Commission.

The AAP, though, rejected the Delhi poll body's explanation and alleged that Chadha's name had been added to the electoral roll "through the back door", while questioning whether political pressure was involved.

Chadha, who was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2022 on an AAP nomination, crossed over to the BJP in April.

AAP national media-in-charge Anurag Dhanda demanded that Chadha's Form 6 be made public and that citizens be allowed to file objections against it in the same manner as for any ordinary elector.

Dhanda claimed Chadha's name did not appear in any Form 6 received in Rajinder Nagar between September 1 and 7. He also questioned how Chadha's name appeared as the 747th entry when the draft roll contained 746 voters and the final roll had not yet been published.

The CEO office said that under EC provisions, any eligible person whose name does not exist in the electoral roll can apply for inclusion through Form 6 along with the prescribed supporting documents.

It also cited the Election Commission's May 14 guidelines on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), which provide that additions made during the SIR period would be assigned serial numbers in continuation after the last entry of the draft roll.

The Delhi poll body reiterated its firm commitment to a transparent, participative and inclusive revision process, ensuring that "no eligible citizen is left out while no ineligible person is included in the Electoral Roll".