BJP MP Raghav Chadha Added to Delhi Electoral Roll Amid Allegations of Illegal Enrolment

The office of the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) on Wednesday said that BJP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha had filed Form 6 seeking inclusion in the electoral roll of Rajinder Nagar constituency on August 26 and his application was approved on September 2 after due procedure. This comes amid the AAP’s allegations that Chadha had got himself enrolled illegally as a voter in Delhi after being struck off the draft Special Intensive Revision (SIR) roll last month in Punjab . He had been registered as a voter in Punjab since at least 2024. Chadha left the party to join the BJP in April. “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 CEO said. Form 6 is the official application form used in India to apply for a new voter identity card or to request the inclusion of a citizen’s name in the electoral roll. Chadha’s application, bearing number U05039D6N2608261200000, was approved by the Electoral Registration Officer after completion of the mandatory seven-day notice period, the CEO office said. “The Form was approved by the Electoral Registration Officer… after completion of mandatory notice period of 07 days,” the office further said, adding that the application was processed as per the procedure laid down by the Election Commission. The AAP, however, claimed that the MP’s name had been added “through the back door”. Anurag Dhanda, AAP’s national media in-charge demanded that Chadha’s Form 6 be made public and that people 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 EC’s May 14 guidelines on the 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. “It is clarified that final electoral roll is published after completion of revision period and after disposing of all claims and objections. However, as soon as any Form is approved …, the name starts reflecting in the database in continuation of last serial number of draft roll,” the CEO office said.