Prashant Kishor Enrolled as Voter in Bihar and West Bengal, Report Claims Ahead of Nationwide SIR

Political strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor has been registered as a voter in both Bihar and West Bengal, The Indian Express reported on Tuesday, October 28.

A senior member of Kishor's team told the publication that he became a voter in Bihar after the West Bengal elections, shifting his electoral registration after his work with the Trinamool Congress.

Voter Details Linked to Both States

According to the report, Kishor's Bengal address is listed as 121 Kalighat Road - the same address as the Trinamool Congress headquarters in Bhabanipur, which is Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's constituency. His polling booth is mentioned as St Helen School on B Ranishankari Lane.

Kishor had earlier worked with the Trinamool Congress (TMC) as a political consultant during the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections.

In Bihar, he is listed as a voter in the Kargahar assembly constituency under the Sasaram parliamentary seat. His polling station is registered at Madhya Vidyalay, Konar in Rohtas district, which happens to be his paternal village, the report added.

Kishor Reportedly Applied to Cancel Bengal Voter Card

Sources close to Prashant Kishor said that the Jan Suraaj Party founder has applied to cancel his West Bengal voter card. However, they did not provide any update on the progress of this request.

As of now, neither Prashant Kishor nor Bihar's Chief Electoral Officer Vinod Singh Gunjiyal have issued any public response regarding these claims.

Legal Position: Can One Be a Voter in Two States?

No. The Representation of the People Act, 1950 clearly states under Sections 17 and 18 that "a person cannot be enrolled as a voter in more than one place in the same constituency or in more than one constituency."

If a voter changes residence, they must update their records by submitting Form 8 to the Election Commission of India (ECI), allowing the correction or shifting of their enrolment.

Why the SIR Is Being Conducted Nationwide

The Election Commission has already completed the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar and plans to roll it out across the country.

The poll body cited "repeated entries in the electoral roll" as one of the key reasons for the SIR exercise in Bihar.

"Some electors obtain registration in one place and then shift their residence and register themselves at another place without getting their names deleted from the electoral roll of the initial place of residence. This has led to an increased possibility of repeated entries in the electoral roll," the EC had said in its June 24 order.

Timeline for Nationwide SIR

On October 27, the Election Commission announced that the second phase of the SIR would be conducted in 12 States and Union Territories.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar confirmed that the revision drive will cover Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal.

The final electoral rolls will be published on February 7, 2026.

According to the schedule, printing and training will take place between October 28 and November 3, followed by house-to-house enumeration from November 4 to December 4.

The Draft Electoral Rolls are set to be released on December 9, with the claims and objection period open until January 8, 2026.

The Notice Phase, meant for hearings and verifications, will continue from December 9 to January 31, 2026, culminating in the publication of the Final Electoral Rolls on February 7, 2026.