Bihar Election 2025: Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor on Tuesday landed in a controversy after the Election Commission issued him a notice over media reports alleging that his name appears on the electoral rolls of both Bihar and West Bengal.
The Returning Officer of the 209-Karhgar Assembly constituency in Sasaram issued him a formal notice, asking him to clarify his stand within three days. The notice cites Section 17 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, which prohibits dual registration, and warns that a violation could lead to legal penalties, including up to one year of imprisonment, a fine, or both.
"According to a news item published on 28.10.2025, your name is registered in the electoral rolls of Bihar and West Bengal. Therefore, you should present your side within three days regarding the entry of your name in more than one constituency," the notice reads.
According to a report by news agency PTI, citing an election official from West Bengal, Kishor is enrolled as a voter in West Bengal at 121, Kalighat Road, the address of the TMC headquarters in Kolkata's Bhabanipur, which is CM Mamata Banerjee's seat. He further stated that Kishor is also registered as a voter in the Kargahar assembly segment in Rohtas district of Bihar.
Jan Suraaj Party Response
When asked about the alleged irregularity, Jan Suraaj Party national spokesperson Kumar Saurabh Singh deflected blame onto the Election Commission (EC).
"The onus is on the Election Commission," he said. "It had launched SIR (Special Intensive Revision) in Bihar with so much fanfare. When they can leave room for a lapse in case of a well-known personality like Prashant Kishor, one can imagine the diligence of the EC elsewhere."
Singh, evaded a direct reply when pointedly asked if Kishor had applied for the deletion of his name in West Bengal before applying for inclusion in Bihar.
"Prashant Kishor is an educated man. He understands his responsibilities well," Singh added. "Let the EC approach us if it thinks that there has been wrongdoing on our part. Our legal team will respond."
Political Backlash
The issue was immediately seized upon by both the ruling NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc in Bihar.
Neeraj Kumar, MLC and spokesperson for the JD(U), called the situation "amusing." He suggested Kishor "had tried to strike a deal with Banerjee, that after her victory in the 2021 polls, she would get him elected to the Rajya Sabha," which requires state residency. "The Trinamool Congress chief must have snubbed him. So, in a sulk, he might have staged the drama of retiring from the consultancy business."
State BJP spokesperson Neeraj Kumar called the dual registration "no minor oversight, but a heinous crime." He accused Kishor of being involved "in a vile conspiracy with the ruling TMC in West Bengal to undermine Bihar elections" and urged the EC to launch an "immediate and rigorous investigation."
RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari said the episode "completely exposes the farce that the SIR has been." He alleged that other ruling NDA leaders also have multiple registrations. "Now, Prashant Kishor, whom we suspect of working, clandestinely, for the BJP-led coalition, has joined the list. Let him come forth with an explanation," Tiwari added.
Past Objections And Reactions
This is not the first time the issue has been raised. During the last Lok Sabha election, the CPM branch in the Bhabanipur area had filed an objection to Kishor being a voter in Bengal.
Regarding the TMC office address, local Trinamool leader and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's sister-in-law, Kajari Banerjee, said that Kishor used to stay at the office while working, but she was not clear on the details of his voter registration.
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The entire matter has raised political and legal questions, as the situation of any candidate being a voter in two states can cast doubt on the electoral process and its credibility.
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