Vote Roll Blunder: Pawan Khera Found with Dual Active EPICs
“Congress faces embarrassment as Pawan Khera is found with two active voter IDs, sparking questions on electoral integrity and party credibility.”
Paromita Das
New Delhi, 3rd September: On September 2, the Congress Party’s campaign against alleged “vote chori” took an unexpected turn when its own spokesperson, Pawan Khera, was caught in a storm of controversy. The row began after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) IT Cell chief Amit Malviya pointed out that Khera himself holds two active EPIC numbers—a revelation that not only embarrassed Congress but also raised difficult questions about its credibility in alleging electoral malpractice.
The timing couldn’t have been worse. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly accused the BJP of manipulating electoral rolls. Yet, the party’s own spokesperson now finds himself at the center of the very allegations his party has been making.
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… pic.twitter.com/IkGFlUhuWk
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) September 2, 2025
Two Active Voter IDs: A Legal and Ethical Quandary
According to records shared by Malviya, verified on the Election Commission of Bharat’s website, Khera is listed under two constituencies:
Jangpura Assembly constituency (EPIC: XHC1992338) in Nizamuddin East
New Delhi Assembly constituency (EPIC: SJE0755967) in Kaka Nagar
Both entries remain active, raising serious questions about electoral irregularities. The Election Commission will likely need to investigate whether Khera ever cast votes multiple times—a violation that could have legal consequences.
This situation exposes a critical flaw: if someone as prominent as a Congress spokesperson has duplicate entries, what does that mean for the accuracy and integrity of Bharat’s vast electoral rolls?
Irregularities Within the Family Records
The controversy doesn’t end with Khera’s own records. At his address, the voter list still includes the name of Rupam Khera, who tragically passed away in 2021 due to COVID-19. Despite his demise, the name continues to appear in the rolls.
In contrast, Khera’s wife’s name has been marked as deleted, highlighting inconsistencies in how updates are processed. Additionally, one individual named Sharav Kumar Prajapat appeared in both voter lists, adding to the confusion.
These discrepancies weaken Congress’s credibility in its loud campaign against supposed electoral mismanagement.
When Hypocrisy Meets Electoral Laws
Congress has frequently accused the BJP and the Election Commission of irregularities, yet has seemingly overlooked its own house. For example, party leaders previously criticized duplicate voter listings, but as Malviya pointed out, the Congress itself hasn’t ensured the timely removal of deceased family members from rolls.
This irony deepens when one recalls how Sonia Gandhi was allegedly listed in Bharat’s voter records before acquiring citizenship, or how Rahul Gandhi has failed to file a sworn complaint about irregularities he alleged in Mahadevapura, Bengaluru. Furthermore, the Supreme Court dismissed a similar case regarding rolls in Maharashtra, undercutting the party’s arguments.
A Pattern of Missteps
The embarrassment isn’t limited to Khera’s duplicate IDs. Earlier, Khera himself had cited a claim by CSDS-Lokniti’s Sanjay Kumar about irregularities in Maharashtra’s electoral rolls. However, Kumar later deleted his post, admitting his team had “misread” the data. Once again, a claim promoted by Congress crumbled under scrutiny.
For a party trying to project itself as the guardian of electoral integrity, these repeated stumbles suggest a worrying lack of preparation and responsibility.
The Cost of Political Irony
Politics often thrives on perception. Congress, by amplifying allegations of “vote chori,” sought to frame the BJP and the Election Commission as complicit in undermining democracy. But perception cuts both ways. The revelation about Pawan Khera’s dual voter IDs, coupled with outdated family records, paints the Congress as careless at best and hypocritical at worst.
At a time when the public’s faith in democratic institutions is fragile, these contradictions weaken the opposition’s moral authority. Instead of exposing systemic flaws, Congress has inadvertently highlighted its own lack of discipline in managing something as basic as voter records.
Cleaning Up Before Pointing Fingers
The controversy around Pawan Khera’s two active voter IDs is more than just a personal embarrassment—it is a political setback for Congress. It raises questions about whether the party should first ensure its own compliance before accusing others of malpractice.
For the Election Commission, this episode underscores the urgent need to audit and update electoral rolls with greater rigor. For Congress, it should be a wake-up call: credibility in politics is not built on loud accusations but on the integrity of one’s own actions.
Until the party demonstrates accountability in matters as fundamental as electoral rolls, its rhetoric on “vote chori” will struggle to resonate with the public.
