Patna: Picture this: 138 voters at a single booth in Muzaffarpur district share one common father – Munna Kumar. Sounds like the opening scene of a Bollywood comedy, doesn't it? But alas, this real-life twist has both electors and candidates pulling their hair out just ahead of Thursday's Bihar legislative council byelection for the Tirhut graduate constituency.
The bizarre mix-up comes from booth number 54 in Aurai block, where a "technical/clerical error" has left 138 electors listed as offspring of the mysterious Munna Kumar. Now, the stakes are high, and so are the stress levels of both voters and candidates.
JD(U) candidate Abhishek Jha has had sleepless nights over the muddled voter rolls. "It is strange so many voters have the same father. How can this happen? I am worried my voters could be stopped from casting their votes," he said.
"Spelling mistakes and voters shuffled out of their blocks like misplaced luggage have added to the drama," Jha said, adding the authorities concerned should have sorted this, but now it is too late. "We are all stuck with this mess," Jha said.
Independent candidate Vanshidhar Brijwasi is not taking this lightly either. "I flagged this to the divisional commissioner, but to no avail. Imagine, 138 voters are panicking because the list says they are all children of Munna Kumar! They are scared they will be denied their right to vote," Brijwasi said.
One can only wonder what Munna Kumar himself would have to say if he existed – or how he'd feel about being a proud (and impossibly busy) father of 138.
Tirhut divisional commissioner Saravanan M, on his part, reassured voters, saying they would not be turned away if they present valid ID. "We cannot fix the list now, but polling officials have instructions to allow genuine voters with proper documents to vote," he said.
Acknowledging the blunder, the divisional commissioner added, "We will deal with the officials responsible after the elections. Heads will roll, but first, we vote."
The byelection to Tirhut graduate constituency was triggered by JD(U) MLC Devesh Chandra Thakur's election to the Lok Sabha from Sitamarhi. Voting will take place on Thursday, December 5, and results will be counted on December 9.
Let us hope Munna Kumar's "children" all get their chance at the ballot box without further drama!