Election authorities have issued a formal notice to the leader of the Jan Suraaj Party, Prashant Kishor, following allegations that his name appears on electoral rolls in both Bihar and West Bengal — a purported breach of voting registration regulations. The poll body’s directive, addressed to him via the electoral registration officer of the Kargahar Assembly Constituency in Bihar’s Rohtas district, demands explanation within three days for the dual enrolment linked to two distinct jurisdictions.
The notice highlights that Kishor is recorded as an elector in the Bhabanipur Legislative Assembly Constituency in West Bengal with an address listed at 121 Kalighat Road, Kolkata — the location of a major party office. Simultaneously, his name appears on the electoral list for the Kargahar segment under Sasaram Parliamentary Constituency in Bihar. Both entries raise questions under Section 17 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, which prohibits registration in more than one constituency.
Election officials note that if dual enrolment is confirmed, the individual may face consequences including removal from one or both rolls, and sanctions under Section 31 of the Act — including fines or imprisonment. Kishor, known for his election-strategy work across several states and now as the founder of his own political outfit, responded defiantly, stating “If I’ve broken any law, then arrest me,” and attributing the issue to administrative oversight rather than personal fault.
Closest advisers to Kishor indicate that the West Bengal registration may have arisen during his stint as strategist for major parties in the state, while the Bihar enrolment corresponds with his shift to active campaigning ahead of the forthcoming November elections in the state. The state election body had concluded a Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls, marking first-time extensive scrutiny of electoral lists in the region.
Political analysts view the notice as significant in two ways: first, as a test of the poll body’s commitment to clean electoral rolls; second, as a potential reputational risk for Kishor’s budding party just weeks ahead of assembly polling in Bihar. Political opponents wasted no time seizing on the issue, arguing that such anomalies undermine confidence in the integrity of the system.
Legal experts observe that duplicate registration is a seldom-enforced violation, partly because tracking mobility across states is complex. The latest scrutiny comes amid intensifying nationwide efforts by the electoral authority to weed out duplicated, ineligible or phantom entries ahead of multiple state elections. The timing of the directive to Kishor underscores the poll panel’s push to project zero-tolerance of registration irregularities.
Kishor’s team, while maintaining innocence, is now engaged in gathering documentation to counter the claim, pointing out that his voter identity in Bihar remains valid and asserting that the West Bengal entry may reflect a listing done by officials without his knowledge. Meanwhile, officials from the electoral registration office in Bihar’s Rohtas district confirmed that the notice seeks specific clarification on how the entries were made, the period of registration in each state and whether Kishor was aware of the duplicate listing.
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