Prashant Kishor’s name found in Bihar-Bengal voter lists; EC sends notice

Kishor’s name is listed in the West Bengal voter list at 121, Kalighat Road in Kolkata’s Bhawanipur Assembly constituency, which is the address of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) headquarters.

New Delhi: Election strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor's name has been found listed in the voter lists of both Bihar and West Bengal, an election official said on Tuesday. Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraj Party is contesting the Bihar Assembly elections this time.

According to official records, Kishor's name is listed in the West Bengal voter list at 121, Kalighat Road in Kolkata's Bhawanipur Assembly constituency, which is the address of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) headquarters. This is the same seat from which Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee contests.

The election official stated that his polling station is registered at St. Helen School, B. Ranishankari Lane. It is worth noting that Prashant Kishore worked as a political advisor for the TMC during the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections. In light of the matter, the Election Commission has issued a notice to Kishor seeking a response.

The official further stated that Kishor's name is registered in the Kargahar Assembly constituency under the Sasaram parliamentary constituency in Rohtas district, Bihar, where his polling station is Madhya Vidyalaya, Konar. Speaking on the matter, the election official explained that under Section 17 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, no person's name can be registered in more than one constituency.

He further stated, "Under Section 18, registering a person's name twice in the same constituency is also prohibited. Voters are required to fill out Form 8 to transfer their name when they change their residence." The Election Commission (EC) has acknowledged that duplication in voter lists is a common issue. This is why the Commission initiated a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process of voter lists across the country. This process, which began in Bihar and concluded with the publication of the updated voter list on September 30, removed approximately 6.866 million entries. These included approximately 700,000 cases where voters were found to be registered twice at different locations.

Jan Suraj Issues Denial
The Jan Suraj Party has clarified the controversy surrounding the issue of having two voter cards. The party's chief spokesperson, Vinod Tiwari, stated that Prashant Kishor's name is registered only in his native village, Konar, in Rohtas district, Bihar. He explained that Prashant Kishor had already had his voter card in West Bengal cancelled, and the receipt for the same was obtained from the Election Commission. The spokesperson stated that the confusion stemmed from a technical error by the Election Commission, and that Prashant Kishor's name is not listed anywhere else.