State poll panel clarifies 'error' amid Oppn stir over voter's 124-yr age
PATNA, Aug. 13 -- A glaring error regarding age of one voter registered in Siwan district detected in the updated draft rolls of Bihar electors as per the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) rocked Parliament on Tuesday as Opposition MPs, led by Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, staged a demonstration with her name and photo printed on their shirts. The Bihar state election commission swiftly addressed the issue by taking steps for correction of the voter's age in the rolls.
Priyanka Gandhi along with a number of Opposition MPs from the INDIA bloc were seen wearing white T-shirts with 'Minta Devi' and her photo emblazoned on it and '124 Not Out' written at the back. The '124 not out' alluded to the age of Minta Devi, the voter in question, which was printed along with her name in the new rolls.
"Minta Devi is a first time voter and she is 124-years-old. The voters list carries her name as a first time voter. We are wanting a discussion on such issues. How has the EC become department of the BJP? The voter list is full of such anomalies," Congress MP Manickam Tagore said while participating in the protest.
Reports said that the error in the age of Minta Devi was apparently due to a wrong entry about her age in Form-06 that voters have to submit for inclusion of their names in the rolls. Reports said Devi is actually 35 years of age.
After the matter came to light, with reports going on in social media, a statement was issued by the Siwan district administration posted through the X handle of the Chief Electoral Officer, Bihar.
The statement regarding fact-check of the case said that deputy election officer, Siwan, Sohail Ahmed, has informed that an online application was submitted through Form-06 by Minta Devi, wife of Dhananjay Kumar Singh, to add her name to the voter list for polling station 94, Kanya Utkramit Madhya Vidyalaya Arjanipur Baya Bhag, Siswan block, under 109-Daraunda assembly constituency.
"In the application, her date of birth was recorded as 15.07.1900. In the draft electoral roll published on August 1, 2025, Minta Devi, wife of Dhananjay Kumar Singh, was listed at polling Station No. 94 with her age recorded as 124 years. After the publication of the draft roll, the BLO pointed out the error in the electoral roll and contacted Minta Devi, drawing her attention to the said error," the statement said.
"Subsequently, on 10.08.2025, Minta Devi submitted an application through Form-08 for correction of the error in her electoral roll details, with Reference ID S04109G8C1008251200004," the statement said. The election department statement added, "As per the rules, the claim submitted by Minta Devi will be processed within the stipulated period".
Meanwhile, the state election department also issued a clarification on reports in social media about an elector Asha Devi being 120 years of age. Certain media reports had questioned the entry of Asha Devi, aged 120 years, as a first time voter.
However, the state election department said that the age of Asha Devi, who is registered as a voter in Pirpainti assembly constituency (reserved) in Bhagalpur and a resident of Pheku Tola, Srimatpur and wife of Chalichar Mandal was indeed 120 years of age. "The ERO , Pirpainti had got an inquiry done through BLO Farzana Khatoon at booth number 292, Middle School, Pheku tola ( north side) in which it was found that Asha Devi is indeed 120 years of age," a statement issued by the state election department, Bihar said.
In that way, Asha Devi is perhaps the oldest surviving elector and resident in Bihar....
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