Patna: The Election Commission has issued notices to Vaishali MP Veena Devi and MLC Dinesh Singh over alleged duplicate voter registrations and possession of two separate EPIC numbers, following public allegations amplified by opposition leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav amid the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar. The couple—Veena Devi, an MP from LJP (RV), and Dinesh Singh, a JD (U) legislator—reportedly have their names entered in voter lists at two locations: their ancestral address in Bada Daud village under Sahebganj Assembly, and a city address in Muzaffarpur-94 constituency.
According to reports, the poll body has sought explanations on how both leaders came to be listed at two different assembly segments with separate voter IDs, which is not permissible under election rules. The development comes as opposition parties intensify scrutiny of alleged irregularities in the revision exercise, citing instances of duplicate entries and questionable deletions.
Responding to the notice, Veena Devi said the duplication occurred due to a Booth Level Officer’s error and traced the overlap to her move after marriage, when her name appeared on an urban booth, and later to her re-registration in the village while contesting local body polls. She added that she had applied to remove her urban entry earlier but the change was not executed, and pledged to get one entry deleted through due process.
The controversy adds to a growing political storm around the draft rolls, where the opposition has spotlighted cases of duplicate EPICs and deletions marked as “deceased,” pressing the Commission for tighter data hygiene, transparent hearings, and timely rectifications. The Commission’s notices to the MP-MLC couple signal stepped-up enforcement as it examines high-profile cases and reiterates that inclusion and deletion must adhere to procedure.
