Bihar bypoll: BJP alleges fake voting by Jan Suraaj, Prashant Kishor hits back
The BJP on Thursday alleged that Jan Suraaj Party workers were trying to cast fraudulent votes in the Bankipur assembly bypoll in Bihar and asked
The BJP on Thursday alleged that Jan Suraaj Party workers were trying to cast fraudulent votes in the Bankipur assembly bypoll in Bihar and asked the Election Commission to tighten voter verification as polling continued. Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor rejected the charge and said the BJP had, for the first time, done something constructive by seeking stricter scrutiny of EPIC cards to stop fake voting. Read Full Story The contest has drawn attention as Kishor makes his electoral debut in the by-election and has emerged as a principal challenger to the BJP. The party has not lost the Bankipur seat since 1995, when it was known as Patna West. Around 11.5 per cent voter turnout was recorded till 11 am on Thursday.
In a letter to the returning officer, BJP state general secretary Nitin Abhishek said such practices undermined the fundamental principles of democracy. "It has come to our notice that representatives and workers associated with the Jan Suraaj Party are attempting to compromise the integrity of the polling process by attempting to cast fraudulent/fake votes in the Bankipur bypoll," the BJP said in the letter. Abhishek said, "To prevent any electoral malpractice and safeguard the voting process, we strongly request the Election Commission and polling officials to strictly enforce verification protocols." He demanded that every voter be required to present their original electoral photo identity card and that their identities be carefully matched with the official voters' list before they are allowed to vote.
Kishor responded by saying, "For the first time, BJP has done something constructive by urging strict scrutiny of EPIC cards to curb fake voting. We welcome this move. Our victory in the Bankipur bypoll is 200 per cent certain." A former poll strategist, Kishor is contesting a by-election in a seat where BJP national president Nitin Nabin had won for the fifth straight time in November last year, defeating nearest rival Rekha Gupta of the RJD by more than 50,000 votes. Nabin gave up the seat in April after being elected to the Rajya Sabha. The BJP has fielded youth wing leader Neeraj Kumar Sinha, while the RJD has again fielded Gupta. According to a statement from the Patna district administration, eight super zonal magistrates, 16 zonal magistrates and 42 sector magistrates have been deployed to ensure free, fair and peaceful voting.
It said additional forces had been stationed in sensitive areas, and officials had been told to verify suspicious voter identity cards by scanning QR codes through the Election Commission app and to register FIRs in cases involving fake IDs. Supporters of the BJP and Jan Suraaj were seen in altercations at at least three booths, and police intervened to bring the situation under control. As voting continued in Bankipur, the day saw allegations of fake voting by the BJP, a sharp response from Kishor, security deployment by the administration and brief clashes between supporters of the two parties at some booths. Ends
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