EC issues notice to Prashant Kishor over double voter registration in Bihar and West Bengal
Kishor, who had worked as a key political consultant for the Trinamool Congress during the 2021 West Bengal assembly elections, later launched his own political outfit, Jan Suraaj Party, in Bihar, which is contesting in the upcoming state elections.
New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday issued a notice to Jan Suraaj founder and political strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor over allegations of being registered as a voter in two different states of Bihar and West Bengal. The poll body has sought an explanation from Kishor within three days.
In a letter issued by the Returning Officer of the Kargahar assembly constituency in Bihar's Rohtas district, the EC cited a media report published on October 28, stating that Kishor's name appears in the electoral rolls of both states.
Kishor a voter in Bihar and Bengal
"According to a news report published on October 28, 2025, your name appears in the electoral rolls of both Bihar and West Bengal. Therefore, you are required to submit your explanation within three days regarding the entry of your name in more than one constituency," the letter read.
According to a PTI report, Kishor is registered as a voter at 121 Kalighat Road, Kolkata -- the address of the Trinamool Congress headquarters in Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's Bhabanipur constituency. His polling booth there is listed as St Helen School, B Ranishankari Lane.
In Bihar, however, Kishor's name figures in the Kargahar assembly constituency, which falls under the Sasaram parliamentary seat, with Madhya Vidyalaya, Konar in Rohtas district listed as his polling station. Konar is also Kishor's ancestral village.
'Kishor applied to cancel Bengal registration'
Kishor, who had worked as a key political consultant for the Trinamool Congress during the 2021 West Bengal assembly elections, later launched his own political outfit, Jan Suraaj Party, in Bihar, which is contesting in the upcoming state elections.
A report by The Indian Express said Kishor did not respond to calls or messages seeking comment on the matter. However, a senior member of his team claimed that Kishor became a registered voter in Bihar after the Bengal elections and had applied to cancel his voter registration in West Bengal.
Under Section 17 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, no person is entitled to be registered as a voter in more than one constituency. Section 18 further prohibits multiple registrations within the same constituency. Voters seeking to change their constituency must apply through Form 8 to correct or transfer their entries after a change of residence.