Daijiworld Media Network - Patna

Patna, Oct 29: The Election Commission of India has issued a notice to poll strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor, seeking clarification over the alleged duplication of his name in the voter lists of Bihar and West Bengal.

According to reports, a media outlet had highlighted that Kishor’s name appears in electoral rolls of both states — a violation of the Representation of the People Act, 1950. Reacting strongly to the move, Kishor questioned the Election Commission’s oversight during the Summary Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and challenged the poll body to arrest him if found guilty.

“If my name appears in two voter lists, the Election Commission should explain why it wasn’t deleted during the SIR in Bihar. My name has been in Karakat since 2019. I went to Bengal for two years in between, so I was a voter there. Why is the Election Commission sending a notice? If it’s my fault, arrest me,” Kishor said while speaking to NDTV.

The Election Commission, referring to a report by The Indian Express, said Kishor’s name appears in the Maniktala Assembly Constituency under the North Kolkata Parliamentary seat in West Bengal, while he is also listed in Bihar’s Karakat Assembly Constituency. The report further mentioned his address as 121 Kalighat Road — the Trinamool Congress office located in Kolkata’s Bhabanipur, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s constituency.

Criticising the summary revision process, Kishor said, “SIR was done in Bihar. What difference did it make? Was anyone’s name struck off? A few people did face difficulties. BJP can try all it wants, but they might want to delete someone’s name, scare someone or bother someone. But if people turn against you, no SIR or FIR can save you.”

The Election Commission has sought Kishor’s explanation regarding the alleged duplication, and further action will depend on his response.