NEW DELHI – The political landscape in the capital has heated up after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leveled serious allegations against Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera, claiming he possesses two active voter identity cards (EPIC). The accusation comes on the heels of the conclusion of Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra,’ and has prompted the Election Commission of India (ECI) to issue a notice to Khera.
BJP leader and head of the party’s IT cell, Amit Malviya, took to social media to make the allegation, sharing details of two separate EPIC numbers registered in Khera’s name in two different constituencies in Delhi. Malviya’s post, which went viral, accused the Congress of being “the quintessential vote chor” (vote thief) and called for an investigation into whether Khera had voted multiple times.
This move by the BJP is being seen as a direct counter-attack to the Congress’s recent campaign, spearheaded by Rahul Gandhi, which has been vocal about alleged “vote theft” and manipulation of voter lists, particularly in states like Bihar.
Responding to the allegations, Pawan Khera acknowledged that his name was indeed present in two voter lists but placed the blame squarely on the Election Commission. He stated that he had applied for the deletion of his name from the New Delhi constituency list in 2016 after he shifted residences, but the ECI had failed to act on his request.
“This is exactly the issue that the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi have been raising about the functioning of the Election Commission,” Khera said in a press conference. “I want to know who has been casting my vote from the New Delhi constituency. I demand that the Election Commission investigate this and release the CCTV footage.”
Taking cognizance of the matter, the District Election Office of New Delhi has issued a notice to Pawan Khera. The notice, citing the Representation of the People Act, 1950, which makes it a penal offense to be registered in more than one constituency, has directed Khera to respond by September 8.
The political spat has further intensified the pre-election rhetoric, with the BJP asserting that the incident is proof of the Congress’s fraudulent practices, while the Congress maintains that it highlights the ECI’s negligence and alleged bias in favor of the ruling party.
