Thousands of Voter ID cards found along Narmada river in Madhya Pradesh, Congress seeks FIR

New Delhi: Thousands of voter ID cards were found along the banks of the Narmada river in Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone district, triggering a political controversy. Congress workers have demanded an FIR and a detailed investigation into how the cards ended up at the site.

The cards were discovered at a ghat in Mandleshwar, around 65 km from the Khargone district headquarters. Most of them reportedly belong to voters from Indore’s Rau Assembly constituency. However, the exact number of cards recovered and the circumstances in which they were found remain unclear.

The incident came to light after a video showing voter ID cards scattered along the riverbank went viral on social media. Police and administrative officials reached the spot, collected the cards and recorded the recovery.

इंदौर के वोटर ID कार्ड बड़ी संख्या में महेश्वर में मिले!

वोट चोरी में जुटी भाजपा की साज़िशें अब एक-एक कर सामने आ रही हैं!

आखिर इंदौर के इतने बड़े पैमाने पर वोटर ID कार्ड महेश्वर में कैसे पहुंचे? इन्हें वहाँ किसने और क्यों फेंका? क्या मतदाताओं के अधिकारों के साथ कोई बड़ा खेल किया जा रहा है?

भाजपा की कठपुतली बना निर्वाचन आयोग क्या इस गंभीर मामले की निष्पक्ष जांच करेगा, या फिर हमेशा की तरह आंखें मूंदकर बैठा रहेगा?

@ECISVEEP

— MP Congress (@INCMP) October 25, 2026

Officials seize cards, order investigation

Maheshwar Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Purva Mandloi confirmed the recovery and said a tehsildar had been sent to investigate the matter. She said the exact number of cards was yet to be determined and further details would emerge after the enquiry. Action would be taken against those found responsible, she added.

Mandleshwar police official Shweta Shukla said the cards were spotted on Sunday morning when members of the Niswarth Seva Samiti were cleaning the Narmada Ghat. Following the information, the SDM sent a revenue department team to the spot. The cards were seized after officials prepared a record of the recovery, Shukla said.

She added that the police had received a written complaint and the station house officer had been assigned to investigate the matter while further action would depend on the findings.

Congress demands FIR, alleges electoral malpractice

The discovery led Congress workers to protest outside the Mandleshwar police station. They handed hundreds of voter ID cards to the Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDOP) and submitted an application seeking the registration of an FIR.

Khargone District Congress president Ravi Nayak alleged that hundreds or thousands of voter ID cards had been found along the riverbank and in the Narmada. He claimed that the cards appeared to be linked to voters in Indore and called for an impartial investigation.

Nayak questioned how such a large number of voter ID cards could have reached the spot, saying the incident raised suspicions of electoral malpractice. However, these allegations have not been established. The administration is investigating how and when the cards reached the riverbank and who was responsible for leaving them there.

The number of cards recovered, their ownership details and the circumstances surrounding their disposal are expected to emerge as the investigation progresses.