The Election Commission of India (ECI) has served a show-cause notice to political strategist and Jan Suraaj Party leader Prashant Kishor. The action follows the discovery of his name on voter rolls in both Bihar and West Bengal, violating rules against dual enrollment.
The notice comes from the Returning Officer of Bihar’s Kargahar Assembly Constituency in Rohtas district. It cites Section 17 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, which bans registration in more than one constituency. Kishor must explain the issue within three days.
In Bihar, Kishor appears as a voter in Part 367 at Middle School, Konar (North Section), under polling booth 621 in Kargahar. His EPIC number is 1013123718.
In West Bengal, his name shows up in the Bhabanipur Assembly Constituency at St. Helen’s School, B. Rani Shankar Lane.
The notice warns of penalties under Section 31, including up to one year in jail, a fine, or both, for any violation.
Kishor admits the duplication but blames ECI’s oversight, not his actions.
This comes after ECI’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar’s rolls. The final list, released this month, has over 7.4 crore voters, including 14 lakh first-timers, ahead of state polls.
Kishor, once a strategist for parties like Trinamool Congress, now leads Jan Suraaj in Bihar. He has conducted padyatras to challenge NDA and INDIA bloc.
Bihar votes in two phases on November 6 and 11, with results on November 14.
