Why Does Prashant Kishor Have Dual Voter IDs in Bengal?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Prashant Kishor is under scrutiny for having two voter IDs.
- The controversy may affect his political campaign.
- Janata Dal (United) has raised questions about electoral integrity.
- Kishor is actively campaigning despite not contesting himself.
- Bihar will vote in two phases on November 6 and 11.
Patna, Oct 28 (NationPress) The Janata Dal (United) has criticized Jan Suraaj's founder Prashant Kishor for possessing two voter identity cards, one registered in Bihar and another in West Bengal.
Neeraj Kumar, the chief spokesperson of Janata Dal (United) and an MLC, vehemently questioned Kishor’s name appearing in the voter list for Kolkata's Kalighat locality, known for its ties to the Trinamool Congress.
“Prashant Kishor talks about migration from Bihar while being a voter in West Bengal. It’s plausible to have your name in the voter list of your home state, or even in Delhi where your business operates, but how does he justify being on the Kolkata voter list associated with TMC?” Neeraj Kumar challenged.
He drew a comparison, saying, “Just as Bangladeshi infiltrators managed to acquire Aadhaar cards in Bihar, Prashant Kishor seems to have gotten himself registered in the voter list of Kolkata. He needs to explain how this occurred.”
According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), Kishor's name appears in Bihar's Rohtas district under the Kargahar Assembly constituency (209) and Rohtas Lok Sabha constituency (34) with EPIC number IUI3123718.
His other voter ID, IUI686683, is registered under the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency (159) and Kolkata South Lok Sabha constituency (23) in West Bengal.
As of now, Kishor has not addressed this controversy.
Kishor, who frequently criticizes the Bihar government regarding issues such as “unemployment and migration,” recently suggested that the youth of Bihar are compelled to leave the state due to the “misguided priorities” of its leaders.
“Citizens voted for Narendra Modi for a temple - it was built. They voted for Nitish Kumar based on caste - he performed a caste survey. However, factories are being established in Gujarat, not in Bihar. Youth from Bihar are working there for merely Rs 10,000–Rs 12,000 a month,” he asserted.
Prashant Kishor is presently campaigning for candidates of his party throughout Bihar but is not contesting in the elections himself.
Bihar will hold elections in two phases on November 6 and 11, with the results to be counted on November 14.