Bihar Election Commission Sends Notice To RJD Leader Tejashwi Yadav Over 2 Voter IDs

The Election Commission has requested Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav to substantiate his claim that his name was removed from Bihar's electoral roll. The commission asked for the EPIC card number he mentioned during a press conference. This request followed Yadav's statement, which the poll body immediately refuted, confirming his name was on the draft voter list.

Tejashwi Yadav's assertion came amid the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar. This process has sparked significant controversy, with opposition parties criticising it as an attempt to exclude and disenfranchise key voter communities. The Election Commission recently released revised draft rolls, removing 65 lakh names identified as illegal voters.

Controversy Over Voter ID

The BJP accused Tejashwi Yadav of possessing two voter ID cards, which they claimed constituted a crime. The Election Commission's notice highlighted discrepancies between the EPIC numbers Yadav provided and those officially recorded. They requested him to submit details and the original copy of the EPIC card he mentioned for further investigation.

During a press conference, Yadav displayed his Election Photo Identity Card (EPIC) number and entered it into the poll body's mobile app, which returned a "no records found" error. He questioned how he could contest elections if his name wasn't on the voter list. However, the Election Commission later released electoral roll copies showing his details at a Patna booth.

BJP's Allegations

The BJP alleged that Tejashwi Yadav committed a crime by maintaining two voter IDs, noting that the EPIC number he cited differed from his official one. BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra questioned whether Yadav lied under oath or presented false information to the Election Commission during a press conference.

The BJP Lok Sabha MP also pointed out that the voter ID Yadav mentioned in his 2020 poll affidavit was not the same as the one he showed recently. This discrepancy added fuel to their allegations against him.

Amidst these developments, intense protests erupted both inside and outside Parliament over the Special Intensive Revision process in Bihar. Opposition parties have been vocal in their objections, labelling it a "conspiracy" against communities forming their core vote bank.