Viral Voter List From Uttar Pradesh Claims Man Has 48 Children—What’s the Real Story?

A voter list from Uttar Pradesh has recently gone viral, causing a stir on social media and raising questions about the Election Commission’s processes. The list shows one father reportedly having 48 children, all registered as voters under his name. Upon deeper investigation, however, a very different picture emerges—one that speaks more about Indian traditions than bureaucratic errors.

The controversy began when an image of the voter list spread online. According to the list and various posts, a man named Ram Kamal Das from Varanasi is recorded as the father of 43 sons, all living at the same address. Some of the listed sons even share the same age, with 13 of them appearing to be 37 years old. Social media users quickly began circulating the list, some ridiculing the Election Commission for the supposed blunder, while others expressed concern over possible administrative apathy.

Congress leaders seized on the data to question the Election Commission’s credibility, staging protests and demanding answers. The list seemed to offer a new example of voter list irregularities at a sensitive time.

However, further investigation reveals that the truth is rooted in the “guru-shishya” (teacher-disciple) tradition. Swami Ram Kamal Das Vedanti, the man named as ‘father’ to these dozens of people, is a religious guru and the head of the Ram Janki Math in Varanasi’s Khojwa. Because of the guru-disciple tradition in the ashram, many residents consider the guru to be their spiritual father, and list his name instead of their biological father’s on official documents—including the voter list.

According to the ashram authorities, this was once common practice, with as many as 150 students listing Swami Ram Kamal Das as their father. Over time, that number has shrunk to 48. In these cases, after joining the guru-shishya tradition, disciples often change their names and cite their guru as their spiritual parent in records.

So, the viral voter list is not evidence of a bureaucratic blunder, but rather an outcome of age-old religious customs. Swami Ram Kamal Das is not biologically related to these individuals; they are his disciples.

Even so, the episode has highlighted lingering questions: Should there be clearer rules or laws governing how such traditions impact official documents? Does the Election Commission need to clarify its stance or update procedures in light of such practices?

What do you think? Should the Election Commission issue a statement or change its rules for unique situations like this? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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