Opposition Defends Pawan Khera, Blames Election Commission for Duplicate Voter ID Row

New Delhi: The controversy around Congress leader Pawan Khera’s voter ID has sparked a sharp political exchange, with opposition parties rallying to his defence after the BJP alleged he held two active EPIC cards from separate constituencies in Delhi.

Congress leader Udit Raj dismissed the allegations as politically motivated, insisting the responsibility lies with the Election Commission. “So this is the mistake of the Election Commission, not of Pawan Khera. If your system allows multiple EPIC numbers and voter IDs to be created, then the fault lies with the Election Commission. What mistake has Pawan Khera made in this?” he asked.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) also came out strongly, with spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari remarking, “Many BJP leaders also have multiple EPIC numbers. If someone has two EPICs, it is the EC’s mistake, and it must give an explanation.”

The Election Commission has issued a formal notice to Khera, pointing out that he was registered in both the New Delhi and Jangpura Assembly constituencies. The notice specifically read: “Notice to Shri Pawan Khera for getting himself registered in the Electoral Roll of more than one constituency.”

Meanwhile, BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya escalated the matter further by alleging that Khera’s wife, Kota Neelima, also holds two active voter IDs — one from Khairatabad in Telangana and another from New Delhi. Malviya shared the alleged details on social media, calling it a “serious violation of electoral norms.”

Congress insiders, however, argue that such irregularities are often the result of administrative lapses in voter roll management and not intentional wrongdoing.