Did Bihar Election Official Just Ask Tejashwi Yadav for His Missing Voter ID?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Tejashwi Yadav's claims about missing voter ID spark controversy.
- The electoral office seeks verification of his alleged second EPIC number.
- The Election Commission defends the integrity of the electoral roll.
- Investigations reveal no records for the second EPIC number.
- BJP attacks Yadav for discrediting the electoral process.
Patna, Aug 3 (NationPress) Following a controversy ignited by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav's assertion that his name was absent from Bihar's draft electoral roll, the election office reached out to him on Sunday. They requested information regarding his claimed ‘second’ EPIC number, which he alleges has been removed from the voter list.
The Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) for Digha Assembly constituency formally requested the Leader of Opposition to provide the original copy of the voter ID card purportedly missing from the draft electoral roll.
“We kindly ask you to submit the details of the EPIC card (along with the original copy of the card) referenced during your press conference on August 2, 2025, so that a thorough investigation can be conducted,” stated the ERO.
The correspondence dated August 3 linked back to Tejashwi Yadav’s “comments made in the press conference on August 2, 2025, regarding the absence of names in the draft electoral list published based on eligibility as of July 1, 2025.”
During his press conference on Saturday, Tejashwi Yadav raised eyebrows by performing a live online search on the Election Commission’s website using his EPIC number, which resulted in a “no records found” message.
He argued that his lack of voter registration in Bihar disqualified him from competing in the forthcoming elections.
Shortly after, sources from the ECI labeled the RJD leader’s assertions as unfounded and countered with findings from their comprehensive investigation.
In a statement shared on X, the DEO’s office declared: “Tejashwi Yadav’s assertion of his name missing from the electoral roll following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is incorrect. His name is recorded at Serial Number 416, with a polling booth number of 204 — Veterinary College, Patna.”
According to ECI sources, the RJD leader used an Electoral Roll with Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) No. RAB0456228 for his nomination papers in 2020. This EPIC number was also present in the electoral roll of 2015.
However, an investigation revealed a different EPIC number - RAB2916120 – registered in his name, which has been identified as non-existent.
Sources indicated that despite a thorough review of documents related to Tejashwi Yadav dating back 10 years, there are no records supporting the existence of the second EPIC number.
“It is quite possible that this second EPIC was never formally issued,” commented a source within the Bihar election office, adding that an inquiry is ongoing to ascertain the authenticity of the second EPIC number and to determine if it is a forged document.
Meanwhile, the BJP criticized Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday for his unsuccessful attempt to undermine the recent electoral roll revision in Bihar by alleging that his name had been removed.