The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has strongly criticized Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav's claim that his name was missing from Bihar's electoral roll, suggesting that he possesses two EPIC (Electoral Photo Identity Card) numbers and questioning whether he has multiple voter IDs. This comes after Yadav alleged that his name was missing from the revised draft voters' list ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in Bihar.
Yadav made the initial claim at a press conference in Patna, stating that upon checking the Election Commission's (EC) website and mobile application using his EPIC number, he found no records of his name. He used this to suggest a larger issue of widespread voter deletion and accused the EC of bias. He questioned the deletion of approximately 65 lakh names from the voter list and demanded transparency from the EC.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) swiftly refuted Yadav's allegations, calling them "factually incorrect" and "mischievous". The EC released a copy of the electoral roll showing Yadav's name listed at serial number 416, polling station number 204, located in the library building of Bihar Animal Sciences University. Patna District Magistrate Dr. Thiyagarajan SM also confirmed that Yadav's name is registered in the draft voter list.
The controversy deepened when it emerged that the EPIC number Yadav presented at the press conference, RAB2916120, differed from the one listed against his name in the EC's records, RAB0456228. EC sources indicated that Yadav had used the latter EPIC number (RAB0456228) when filing his nomination papers in the 2020 Assembly polls and that he was listed with this number even in the 2015 electoral roll. The ECI is now investigating the discrepancy, with sources suggesting the possibility of forgery related to the EPIC number presented by Yadav.
BJP leaders have seized upon this discrepancy to attack Yadav's credibility. The BJP's IT cell head, Amit Malviya, took a dig at Yadav, referencing past comments where Yadav compared himself to Steve Jobs and questioned how someone who couldn't find his name on the electoral roll could make such comparisons. Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary posted what he claimed was a screenshot of Yadav's voter details and accused him of spreading misinformation. BJP leader Boora Narsaiah Goud went further, calling Yadav and the INDIA bloc "anti-democratic terrorists" and accusing them of relying on fraudulent electoral rolls to win elections. Sambit Patra of the BJP also joined in, alleging that Yadav held two EPIC numbers.
The BJP has accused the RJD of electoral roll tampering in Bihar, alleging that Yadav possesses multiple voter IDs. They are questioning how Yadav could claim his name was missing when the EC has presented evidence to the contrary and are demanding an explanation for the different EPIC numbers.
Amidst the political back-and-forth, the EC has emphasized that the draft electoral rolls are available for voters to verify their information and submit any claims or objections. The period for claims and objections is open for a month, and the poll body has stated that it shared the updated draft rolls with all political parties on August 1, including a list of deletions since June for verification. The EC maintains that pure electoral rolls are the foundation of any democracy.
