A political firestorm has erupted between the BJP and the Congress, with BJP’s IT cell chief Amit Malviya alleging that Congress national spokesperson Pawan Khera holds two active EPIC (Electoral Photo Identity Card) numbers. The accusation comes just a day after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi vowed to drop a “hydrogen bomb” to expose what he claims is “vote chori” or electoral fraud.
In a detailed post on X, Malviya claimed that Khera is registered as a voter in two different Delhi assembly constituencies: Jangpura and New Delhi. He wrote, “It has now emerged that Pawan Khera… holds two active EPIC numbers (in Jangpura and New Delhi Assembly Constituencies).” Malviya has urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to investigate the matter, questioning whether Khera has voted multiple times, which would be a direct violation of electoral laws.
A Direct Challenge to Congress’s “Vote Chori” Claims
Malviya’s allegations directly counter the Congress party’s ongoing campaign against alleged irregularities in voter lists. He called the Congress the “quintessential vote chor” and suggested that the party is “worried that the Special Intensive Revision initiated by the Election Commission will expose them further.” Malviya also revisited past controversies, including his claim that Rahul Gandhi’s mother, Sonia Gandhi, was on a voter list before she became an Indian citizen, and pointed out that Rahul Gandhi has not submitted a formal complaint regarding his earlier allegations of voter fraud in Bengaluru.
The Representation of the People Act, 1950, strictly prohibits an individual from being enrolled as a voter in more than one place. According to legal experts, possessing two separate EPICs with different numbers is a legal offense, and providing false information during voter registration is punishable with up to one year of imprisonment or a fine.
Khera Defends Himself, Blames Election Commission
Pawan Khera has hit back at the allegations, stating that the situation actually proves the very point the Congress party has been raising about errors in the voter lists. He acknowledged that his name appears in the New Delhi constituency list despite having shifted from there in 2016. Khera said he had followed the procedure to get his name deleted from the old constituency.
“This is exactly what the Congress party is saying. This is the question that we are raising regarding the working of the Election Commission,” Khera told reporters, claiming that his party has been asking for the voter lists but has been denied them by the ECI. He demanded that the ECI explain why his name was not deleted and asked for CCTV footage to determine who, if anyone, has cast a vote in his name in the New Delhi constituency since he moved.
The public feud highlights a growing tension between the two major political parties over the integrity of India’s electoral process, with each side using the allegations to attack the other.