The Election Commission of India (ECI) has formally notified poll strategist Prashant Kishor, the driving force behind the Jan Suraaj Party, regarding his alleged double voter registration. An official showcause notice has been issued, detailing that Kishor appears to be enrolled on the electoral rolls of both Bihar and West Bengal.
According to the communication from the Returning Officer of the Kargahar Assembly Constituency in Sasaram, Bihar, Kishor’s voter registration is linked to a specific location and polling booth in Rohtas district, bearing the EPIC number 1013123718. This marks him as a registered voter in Bihar.
However, the ECI has also received information suggesting Kishor’s name is simultaneously listed in the Bhabanipur Assembly Constituency of West Bengal. The designated polling station for this registration is reportedly at St. Helen School. This duplication is a serious electoral offense.
This action is grounded in Section 17 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, which clearly stipulates that an individual can only be registered as a voter in a single constituency. The notice warns that such a violation is punishable under Section 31 of the Act, carrying penalties that could include up to one year of imprisonment, a monetary fine, or both.
Prashant Kishor has been instructed to present his defense and provide a satisfactory explanation within three days, addressing the reason for his name appearing on two separate state voter lists. The timing of this notice is significant, coinciding with the ECI’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and preceding the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, slated for November 6 and 11, with the vote counting on November 14. Kishor, who is actively touring Bihar as part of his Jan Suraaj Yatra, has yet to respond publicly to this development.