Congress' Pawan Khera Gets Election Commission Notice Over 2 Voter IDs

Congress leader Pawan Khera has been issued a notice by the District Election Office in New Delhi for "getting himself registered" in the voter rolls in more than one constituency. The development came hours after the BJP shared voter lists from the New Delhi and Jangpura Assembly constituencies in the Capital and said the Congress leader has two EPIC (Electoral Photo Identity Card) numbers.

Asked for a comment on the notice, Mr Khera said, sarcastically, that he hopes the Election Commission shows the "same promptness" in all cases. The matter, he said, has actually strengthened the Congress' case and is proof that the voter rolls, in their current form, have several lacunae. 

In a post on X on Tuesday afternoon, the District Election Office for New Delhi District shared a copy of the notice and wrote, "Notice to Shri Pawan Khera for getting himself registered in Electoral Roll of more than one constituency."

The notice states that Mr Khera, who heads the Congress' media and publicity wing, has two EPIC numbers: SJE0755967 and XHC1992338.

"As you may be aware, that being registered in the electoral roll of more than one constituency is a penal offence under the Representation of People Act 1950," the Electoral Registration Officer wrote.

The officer said Mr Khera has to reply to the notice by 11 am on Monday, September 8, and state why action should not be taken against him under the Act.

'No Affidavit?'

Speaking to NDTV after he received the notice, Mr Khera said he would respond and added, "I hope the Election Commission shows the same promptness in all matters as it did in sending me this notice. I wish they had done the same with all other anomalies we have pointed out. I don't know why they didn't act on (Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi and the Congress' allegations about the voter rolls in) Mahadevapura. For that, they wanted Mr Gandhi to give an affidavit, but no affidavit is required for this."

"The responsibility of cleaning up the voter list does not lie with Pawan Khera, unfortunately for the BJP. It does not lie with the Congress or Mr Rahul Gandhi. It lies solely with the Election Commission of India. So, by posting my two EPIC cards - I also got to know this morning that I have another EPIC card - our case has been strengthened by the BJP. This is what we have been demanding - please clean up the electoral rolls," he said. 

Mr Khera said he had informed the Election Commission that he had shifted and was registered as a voter in a new constituency in 2016-17, and his name should have been deleted from the other seat by the poll body. 

Asked if this was not a convincing argument for roll revision, he said several such exercises have been carried out in Delhi in the nine years since he moved and his case proves that they are not being conducted properly.

‘Vote chori' Row

Amid the ‘vote chori' (theft) row and a day after Rahul Gandhi said his party was now preparing a “hydrogen bomb” of data that it would present soon, the BJP had said earlier in the day that the Congress leader keeps talking about the issue but someone in his own party is registered in two constituencies. 

"Rahul Gandhi screamed "Vote Chori" from the rooftops. But just like he forgot to mention that his mother, Sonia Gandhi, enlisted herself in India's voter list even before becoming an Indian citizen, it has now emerged that Pawan Khera, Congress spokesperson - who never misses a chance to flaunt his proximity to the Gandhis - holds two active EPIC numbers (in Jangpura and New Delhi Assembly Constituencies, falling under East Delhi and New Delhi Lok Sabha seats respectively)," BJP leader Amit Malviya said in a post on X.

"As if the criminality of holding multiple votes isn't enough, Pawan Khera is holding malicious press conferences in Bihar to mislead voters, create dissonance, and undermine India's robust electoral process," Mr Malviya added, referring to the allegations by the Congress and other opposition parties about irregularities in the special intensive revision (SIR) of voter lists taking place in the poll-bound state. 

The Congress, he alleged, is the "quintessential vote chor”