The Election Commission sent a notice to Prashant Kishor on Tuesday amid claims that he was illegally registered as a voter in two states. The notice was issued by the district election office in Rohtas — where the Jan Suraaj Party founder has been registered as a voter — and directed him to respond within three days.
According to an Indian Express report, the former poll strategist is also registered as a voter in West Bengal. Kishor had worked with the TMC in 2021 and apparently registered as a voter from the assembly constituency of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. He is also registered as a voter in his native place Kargahar assembly segment within Bihar.
Dual voter on records
According to official records, Kishor is enrolled as a voter in West Bengal at 121, Kalighat Road, the address of the Trinamool Congress headquarters in Kolkata’s Bhabanipur assembly constituency, which is Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee’s seat, an election in West Bengal said.
“His polling station is listed as St Helen School on B Ranishankari Lane,” the official added.
During the 2021 assembly elections in West Bengal, Kishor had worked as a political consultant for the TMC.
Kishor is registered at his native place Kargahar assembly segment under Sasaram parliamentary constituency in Rohtas district of Bihar, the poll official said, adding that his polling booth is Madhya Vidyalaya, Konar.
Further talking about the matter, the poll official referred to Section 17 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 under which no individual can be registered as a voter in more than one constituency.
“Section 18, meanwhile, prohibits multiple entries within the same constituency,” he pointed out.