A significant electoral matter has surfaced concerning poll strategist Prashant Kishor, the founder of the Jan Suraaj Party. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued a showcause notice to Kishor after uncovering evidence that his name is registered as a voter in two separate states: Bihar and West Bengal.
The notice, issued by the Returning Officer of the Kargahar Assembly Constituency in Bihar’s Rohtas district, specifies Kishor’s registration details in Sasaram, including his polling booth location and EPIC number 1013123718. This confirms his enrollment in the Bihar electoral roll.
Simultaneously, the ECI has information indicating that Kishor is also listed as a voter in the Bhabanipur Assembly Constituency in West Bengal. The polling station for this entry is reportedly located at St. Helen School. Being registered in two constituencies is a violation of electoral law.
This alleged duplication falls under the purview of Section 17 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950. This law explicitly forbids individuals from being enrolled on the electoral rolls of more than one constituency. The notice further highlights that contravening this section can result in penalties defined by Section 31 of the Act, which may include imprisonment for up to a year, a fine, or both.
Kishor has been afforded three days to submit a written explanation to the ECI, clarifying how his name appeared on electoral rolls in both Bihar and West Bengal. This notice arrives during a period of intensive electoral roll revision by the ECI and just before the Bihar Assembly elections, scheduled for November 6 and 11, with results expected on November 14. Kishor, currently undertaking his Jan Suraaj Yatra across Bihar, has not yet commented on the ECI’s notice.