Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Raghav Chadha on Thursday accused Punjab’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government of a “political vendetta” after his name was marked under the “shifted” category in the state’s draft electoral roll. Chadha, a Rajya Sabha member from Punjab who was among seven of the 10 AAP members of the upper House to defect to the BJP in April, has been a voter in Mohali.
Chadha alleged that Punjab government officials, including the booth-level officer (BLO), assistant electoral registration officers (AEROs) and the chief electoral officer (CEO), carried out the classification. He added that these officers know the AAP government controls their transfers, postings, and careers once their electoral duty ends. “They know who can transfer them and who can make their lives difficult. This is how the AAP government applies political pressure through state officers to execute the political revenge,” he said.
Chadha alleged that the Punjab government’s police and administrative machinery has similarly targeted other former AAP lawmakers who switched to the BJP. He added that since he left the “corrupt” AAP, its leadership has been burning with anger. “It has unleashed the Punjab Police and the Punjab Government’s administrative machinery against those of us who refused to remain silent.”
Punjab CEO’s office declined to comment on Chadha’s allegations but sought to allay concerns about the omission. “We cannot comment on any kind of political allegations. But this is still only a draft roll. We can assure that if any genuine name is missing, it will be added back in time and by following the due process,” an official in the CEO’s office said.
The AAP denied Chadha’s allegations, saying the Election Commission of India and not the state government is conducting the Special Intensive Revision of the electoral roll. In a statement, the AAP said Chadha was caught trying to get his voter registration in Delhi through a backdated process. It added that he is now attempting to blame the AAP and the Punjab government.
