Patiala: Punjab election authorities have rejected reports that Patiala MP Dr Dharamvir Gandhi and his family were removed from voter lists, saying all five are registered in the draft electoral roll published on Aug 13.The clarification followed Gandhi’s allegations of procedural flaws and voter-mapping discrepancies in Punjab’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) 2026. The Congress MP said his household had been informed that mapping for all five family members was incomplete, resulting in verification notices.“Instead of being smooth, people-friendly, and convenient, the SIR process in Punjab has caused a lot of confusion,” Dr Gandhi said. “I have resided at this Patiala address since 2000 and contested three parliamentary elections from here, winning twice. If a sitting MP’s household data is left unmapped and subjected to notices, one can imagine the hurdles ordinary citizens are facing with arbitrary exclusions.”Gandhi appeared before District Election Officer on Sept 2 and submitted his passport and matriculation certificate as residential and age proof to formalise objections and protect his family’s voter status.State election authorities described reports that the family had been dropped from the register as “incorrect, baseless, and unsubstantiated.” They said Gandhi and his family were enrolled in Assembly Constituency No. 115, Patiala, Part No. 98.The entries list Jagdamba Kaushal, his wife, at serial number 44; daughters Rohani Prashar and Chahat Sahuja at 45 and 46; son Nabendhu at 47; and Gandhi at 48.Officials said document reconciliation and mapping verification were routine steps intended to eliminate errors before publication of final electoral rolls.
