Varanasi Voter List Sparks Political Storm: Celibate Monk Named ‘Father’ to 50 Men

Varanasi: In a controversy that has left officials scrambling and political parties sharpening their attacks, the name of Jagadguru Swami Ramkamal Das, the celibate founder of the historic Ram Janaki Temple at Gurudham, has appeared as the “father” of 50 voters in the Varanasi electoral roll.

The unusual entry — with the “youngest son” aged 28 and the “eldest” touching 72 — has gone viral on social media, with Congress leaders accusing the Election Commission of turning a blind eye to what they describe as “brazen manipulation”.

“This is not a typo. When one name appears as the father of voters across five decades in age, it calls the authenticity of the entire voter list into question,” thundered senior Congress leader Maroof Khan. “If this can happen in Varanasi, what’s stopping it from happening in the rest of the country?”

The UP Congress has escalated the matter online, branding it “vote theft” and demanding an immediate investigation. Party spokesperson Akhilesh Singh insisted that the EC’s explanation could not simply be “an old list” excuse. “In a democracy, even one fake or questionable entry is one stolen vote,” he said.

Officials, however, have pushed back. The State Election Commission clarified that the list in circulation dates back to 2023 and pertains to polling booth 206 at Kanya Primary & Upper Primary School, Shankuldhara, Kashmiri Ganj. Voters numbered 234 to 285 all have ‘Ramkamal Das’ listed in the father’s name — a detail they insist is entirely legal.

According to a 2022 SEC guideline, monks, nuns, and members of religious orders can list their Guru or institution in place of a parent’s name on official documents. Temple official Rambharat Shastri defended the entries, explaining that all 50 voters reside in the ashram and follow the centuries-old Guru–Shishya tradition, in which disciples renounce worldly ties and adopt their Guru as their spiritual father.

“In our order, once a disciple takes the path of renunciation, his biological family ties are cut, and his Guru becomes his father in all records,” Shastri said.