EC issues notice to Prashant Kishor over name in voter lists of both Bihar and West Bengal

The notice has been issued by the district election office in Bihar's Rohtas, where Kishor has been registered as a voter in Kargahar assembly segment, directing him to respond within three days.

Patna: The Election Commission on Tuesday issued a notice to Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor asking him to explain how he is a voter in Bihar as well as West Bengal.

The EC notice, a copy of which is with the Deccan Herald, has been issued by the Returning Officer (RO) of 209, Kargahar Assembly constituency in Bihar, where PK, as Prashant is popularly known, is a voter in the poll-bound State.

“It has been found that you are registered as a voter at 121, Kalighat Road in Kolkata in Bhawanipur constituency, with a polling station at St Helen School. You are also registered as a voter in Kargahar (Rohtas district of Bihar) under polling booth number 621, with EPIC (voter identity card) number IUI3123718,” said the EC notice, in Hindi, to PK.

The Jan Suraaj founder, who has fielded candidates on all the 243 seats in Bihar, has been asked to give an explanation to the Election Commission within three days.

The EC notice further says that under Section 17 of the Representation of the People’s Act 1950, a person cannot be enrolled as a voter in more than one constituency. “Violation of this provision may attract penalties under Section 31 of the Act, including imprisonment up to one year, a fine, or both.” the EC said.

“It is surprising that PK got enrolled as a voter in West Bengal. We suspect he must have struck a deal with Mamata Banerjee that after her victory, he should be made Rajya Sabha member as one should be a resident of the State to become a member of the Upper House,” said JD (U) spokesperson Neeraj Kumar.

PK, however, said the EC was responsible for the duplication of his name as a voter in Bihar as well as West Bengal as he had earlier requested the EC to delete his name from Kolkata where he worked as a poll strategist for Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress during 2021 polls.

The EC insisted that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), carried out in Bihar, and will be done across the country, was primarily aimed to weed out bogus voters or duplication of names.

PK, who has been at the forefront criticising EC for SIR, has been served notice at a time when Bihar is having elections on November 6 and 11.