The Curious Case of Prashant Kishor's Double Vote: An Electoral Anomaly Unpacked

It’s an odd twist in the narrative, isn’t it? The very individual who often shapes political destinies, the much-talked-about strategist Prashant Kishor, has found himself at the heart of an unexpected — and honestly, rather peculiar — electoral entanglement. Turns out, he was apparently registered to vote in not one, but two distinct constituencies within Bihar. Yes, two. This little revelation, brought to light by a persistent report, has now prompted electoral officials to sit up and, well, issue notices. It’s certainly a moment that makes one pause.

You see, the saga unfolded when it came to light that Kishor’s name graced the voter list in Sasaram, specifically booth number 210. But then, to the surprise of many, his name also popped up as voter number 908 in booth 140, way over in Katwaria village, part of the Harsiddhi Assembly constituency. It’s a bit like having two addresses on two different utility bills, isn’t it? Just imagine the bureaucratic headache, let alone the potential questions about electoral integrity.

What’s particularly intriguing is the timeline here. His enrollment in Sasaram, we’re told, was added just last year, on August 15, 2023. That’s relatively recent. But his Harsiddhi entry? That goes all the way back to the 2012 Bihar Assembly elections — a place, one might add, where his father was also a registered voter. So, there’s a history in Harsiddhi, a kind of established electoral home, if you will. And yet, this new, more recent entry in Sasaram suddenly appears on the scene. It certainly raises eyebrows, wouldn't you say?

Naturally, the authorities couldn’t just let this slide. The Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) for Harsiddhi, Saurabh Sumera, acted, issuing a show-cause notice. And not to be outdone, the Sasaram ERO, Upendra Kumar Pal, followed suit with his own notice. One can almost hear the rustle of official paperwork. This isn't just about a simple administrative error, not really; it touches upon the very bedrock of our electoral system, doesn't it? The sanctity of one person, one vote, one registration.

And it's important to remember the rules here, because they are, after all, quite clear. Section 17 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, is rather explicit: a person cannot, under any circumstances, be enrolled in more than one constituency. Full stop. And if that wasn’t enough, Section 18 hammers it home further, stating that no one can be enrolled more than once in the same constituency. Honestly, breaking either of these is considered a punishable offense. It underscores just how seriously the system views such discrepancies.

Now, as for Kishor’s side of things? Well, he wasn’t available to comment directly, which, you could say, leaves a bit of a vacuum. However, his team did acknowledge receiving the Harsiddhi notice, though they hadn't yet seen the one from Sasaram. They maintained, quite firmly, that he is and has always been a resident of Harsiddhi, and his voter ID was consistently linked to that area. The Sasaram enrollment, they claim, occurred without his knowledge. It’s a defence, yes, but it doesn't entirely clear up the confusion, does it? The question of how a duplicate entry — particularly one without apparent consent — could even occur remains. It’s a story, in truth, that’s still unfolding, leaving us to wonder about the quirks and challenges inherent in even the most fundamental aspects of our democracy.