The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued a notice to Jan Suraaj Party chief Prashant Kishor after discovering that his name appears on voter lists in both Bihar and West Bengal, a clear violation of election laws.

According to the notice issued by the Returning Officer of Kargahar Assembly Constituency in Sasaram, Rohtas district (Bihar), Kishor is registered as a voter under polling booth number 621 with EPIC number 1013123718. However, the ECI, citing a report from an English daily, stated that Kishor’s name also appears on the electoral roll of Bhabanipur Assembly Constituency in West Bengal, where his polling station is listed as St. Helen School, B. Ranishankari Lane.

Under Section 17 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, no individual can be registered as a voter in more than one constituency. Violating this provision can attract penalties under Section 31, which may include imprisonment up to one year, a fine, or both.

Kishor has been asked to respond within three days explaining why his name appears on electoral rolls in two different states.

This action comes soon after the Election Commission concluded its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar’s electoral rolls to eliminate duplicate and ineligible voters ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. As per EC data, the updated rolls include over 7.4 crore registered voters, with approximately 14 lakh first-time voters added this year.