‘Minta Devi, 124 not out’ – error in Bihar woman’s age on voter list gives ammo to Opposition; she says gave correct details

Minta Devi, a resident of Arjani Pur village under Daraundha Assembly constituency, was recently issued a voter ID card in which her age was given as 124. According to her Aadhaar card, her correct date of birth is July 15, 1990, making her 34 years old.

“I came to know about this only a few days ago,” Minta Devi said. “I received my voter ID card just one or two months ago. I did not check it carefully then. When the issue gained attention, I looked at my voter card and realised the mistake,” she said.

She had applied for the voter ID card online from a cyber café after several failed attempts to register through the local Booth Level Officers (BLOs), she said, adding, “I gave the correct details based on my Aadhaar card. This error must have happened while typing or later.”

Her husband, Dhananjay Kumar Singh, said no official visited their home during the SIR process. “The BLOs sit at a common place in the village and collect details, so such mistakes are bound to happen,” he claimed.

In an official communication dated August 11, addressed to the District Election Officer, the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) of Daraundha Assembly constituency confirmed the error. “During the verification process, Minta Devi’s Aadhaar card was reviewed and her correct date of birth was found to be July 15, 1990,” the letter said.

The District Public Relations Office of Siwan on Tuesday said, “Following the publication of the draft electoral roll on August 1, 2025, the BLO identified the error in age and contacted Minta Devi. She has since submitted Form-8 on August 10, 2025, with the reference ID S04109G8C1008251200004, and the correction will be processed as per guidelines.”

The Opposition INDIA bloc has seized upon the Minta Devi incident as evidence of alleged irregularities in the process. On Tuesday, INDIA bloc MPs staged a protest in the Parliament complex wearing white T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan — “Minta Devi 124 Not Out.”

Congress leader Pawan Khera posted on social media, sarcastically nominating Minta Devi for a world record.

“We proudly nominate Minta Devi for the Guinness World Record: THE YOUNGEST LOOKING OLDEST HUMAN in India — courtesy the several miracles of @ECISVEEP. Waah Modiji Waah,” he posted.

Congress MP K C Venugopal also took to social media, saying, “The Election Commission has done a great service to humankind! They discovered the oldest living human, Smt. Minta Devi, whose age is listed as 124 years in the Bihar SIR! The mega voter fraud done by the ECI can never be allowed. INDIA will keep protesting until it is stopped.”

‘Verified’ over 119-year-olds

Meanwhile, two other similar cases involving two entries in the draft roll of the SIR where the voters were shown to be over the age of 119 have been verified as accurate, officials claimed.

In Pirpainti Assembly constituency in Bhagalpur district, the local administration said they confirmed one Asha Devi to be 120 years old after cross-checking with her Aadhaar card.

According to an official verification report submitted by the BLO concerned, Asha Devi was found to be alive and residing in Srimatpur village. “Her Aadhaar card states her date of birth as January 1, 1905, making her approximately 120 years old,” the report noted.

A similar case was reported from Gopalganj district, where Mantruria Devi, residing in Balha village under Baroli Assembly constituency, has been listed in the voter rolls since 2003. Her age was 97 in the 2003 voters’ list, and was 119 in the latest electoral roll published on August 1, the local administration said.

A verification report dated August 12, issued by the Assistant Electoral Registration Officer-cum-Block Development Officer, Baroli, confirmed her age. “During physical verification conducted in the presence of the BLO, BLO supervisor, ward members and villagers, it was confirmed that Mantruria Devi is alive. Her Aadhaar card reflects her date of birth as 01.01.1906, matching the age of 119 years stated in the electoral roll,” the report said.

Officials also clarified that Mantruria Devi’s name was not newly added, but has been part of the electoral roll for decades. “Media reports suggesting otherwise are inaccurate,” the document said.

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