Bogus voter entries spotted in Patna teachers' constituency voter list ahead of MLC elections

Discrepancies in voter lists have surfaced in the Patna Teachers constituency, where private colleges allegedly added fake educators while leaving out legitimate teaching staff ahead of upcoming legislative council elections. Eight legislative council seats in Bihar, split evenly between teachers and graduates constituencies, head to the polls on October 23. The Patna teachers district block includes nearly twelve thousand voters distributed across three regional districts. Official documents reveal that multiple colleges flagged improper voter entries to registration authorities over a span of six months, but the final voter rolls still contain these disputed names.

Specific College Complaints

Patna Science College reported that five fictitious individuals were added under its institution name while three genuine faculty members were left off the roster. The institution formally notified the registration office on October 13, naming the unrecognized persons as Rakesh Ranjan, Kaushlendra Kumar, Tarun Kumar, Vikas Kumar, and Shiv Shanker Upadhyay, while requesting the inclusion of teachers Mamata Rai, Sanjeev Kumar, and Jitendra Kumar Paswan. Principal Alka Kumari stated that officials refused to make the changes because the voter list had already been finalized past the September 29 deadline. Similar issues arose at other private institutions including Sant Kabir Mahant Vidyanand Ayurvedic Pharmacy in Fatuha, which was found locked during inspections yet retained forty-nine listed teachers. Another nearby institution, Sant Kabir Mahanth Vidyanand College, noted it has sixteen eligible voters on staff, but thirty-three names appear on the roll. Additional warnings came from ST College of Education in Phulwari Sharif regarding thirty-two unverified names, Jagataran Kuwar Private ITI in Naubatpur concerning twenty invalid entries, and Awadhesh Prasad Mahavidyalaya in Masaurhi, which flagged a fabricated voter list letter and six unauthorized names while excluding its sole legitimate voter, Smriti Kumari.

Official Response

Patna divisional commissioner Rajesh Kumar stated that the final roll was published after review and that complaints were sent to district magistrates and assistant electoral registration officers for disposal based on written reports from sub-divisional officers. Another official noted that local authorities should have prepared checklists earlier like other districts. Meanwhile, incumbent MLC Nawal Kishore Yadav of the BJP is running for re-election in this constituency.

Context

Legislative council elections in India use a system of indirect representation where specific professional groups, such as graduates and secondary teachers, elect representatives rather than the general public. These biennial polls rely on physical paper ballots marked with special pens rather than standard electronic voting machines. Maintaining accurate voter rolls is critical for these specialized electorates to ensure only qualified professionals participate in choosing their regional representatives.