The Election Commission of India (ECI) has refuted claims made by Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav that his name is missing from the draft electoral roll in Bihar. Yadav alleged that his name was deleted or removed from the list after the first phase of the Special Intensive Revision. He further claimed that searching for his name using his EPIC (Elector's Photo Identity Card) number yielded no results.

The Election Commission responded swiftly, releasing a copy of the electoral roll showing Yadav's details. The ECI stated that Yadav's name is listed at Serial Number 416 in the Draft Electoral Roll. The commission called Yadav's claim "factually incorrect" and "mischievous". They confirmed that he is registered at a booth in the Veterinary College in Patna. His name appears with serial number 416, house number 10 and EPIC number RABO456228. The ECI also shared a copy of the Patna Sahib Lok Sabha seat's voter list, which includes Yadav's name and photograph.

Yadav, addressing a press conference in Patna, questioned how he would contest the upcoming elections if his name was not on the voter list. He stated that he had filled out the enumeration form during the special intensive revision of the electoral rolls in Bihar and that the Booth Level Officer (BLO) had personally collected it. He also alleged that the list provided by the Election Commission lacked addresses, booth numbers, and EPIC numbers for voters, making it difficult to verify whose names had been removed.

In addition to his personal claim, Yadav raised concerns about the removal of a large number of names from the voter list. He claimed that approximately 65 lakh voters, about 8.5% of the total, had been removed, with 20,000 to 30,000 names missing from every assembly constituency. He contrasted this with previous Election Commission announcements that typically provided reasons for such removals, such as voters shifting, deceased individuals, or duplicate names.

The ruling JDU party has accused Tejashwi Yadav of misleading the public. Opposition parties have also voiced concerns regarding mass deletions and potential voter suppression. A leader of Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) made it clear that his party will not join the INDIA bloc and criticized Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for questioning India's credibility and attacking the Election Commission when abroad, while remaining silent when his party wins elections.

This incident occurs against the backdrop of preparations for the Bihar Assembly Elections in 2025. The Election Commission typically undertakes a Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls before any major election to update the voter list by adding new eligible voters, deleting names of deceased or shifted voters, and correcting errors. The publication of the draft electoral roll allows citizens to check their details and raise objections or apply for corrections.