BJP’s Patra accuses Tejashwi Yadav of spreading misinformation on electoral process

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader stirred a row by claiming that his name was missing from the draft electoral rolls published on Friday

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) national spokesperson Sambit Patra on Sunday accused the leader of the opposition in the Bihar Assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, of spreading misinformation about the electoral process.

Speaking at a press conference, BJP’s national spokesperson Sambit Patra alleged that Tejashwi Yadav had cited an incorrect voter ID number and questioned the integrity of the electoral process (ANI)

Yadav, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader, stirred a row by claiming that his name was missing from the draft electoral rolls published on Friday after a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) by the Election Commission in the poll-bound state. However, the ECI rebutted the claim and termed it “factually incorrect”, while the Opposition leader insisted there was a “change” in the EPIC number allotted to him.

Speaking at a press conference, Patra alleged that Yadav had cited an incorrect voter ID number and questioned the integrity of the electoral process, only for the Election Commission of India (ECI) to later confirm that Yadav remains an enrolled voter with a different and valid EPIC number.

Yadav demonstrated at a press conference that an online search, using his EPIC number RAB2916120 on the Election Commission’s website, was yielding the result “no records found”. “The booth level officer (BLO) who visited my place did not give me any receipt of the enumeration form that I had filled up. But I had got myself photographed while handing over my enumeration forms to her,” he had said.

The Election Commission later clarified that his correct and officially registered EPIC number is RAB0456228—the same as what he had used in his 2020 election affidavit.

The Commission confirmed that his name is enrolled in the Digha Assembly constituency at polling station no. 2004 (Library Building, Animal Sciences University), serial number 416.

Referring to Yadav’s 2020 election affidavit, Patra said it is a deliberate attempt to discredit constitutional institutions. “In a fraudulent and misleading manner, this is an attack on the constitutional institutions. This is a conspiracy, an attempt to lower the stature of India,” he said.

The EC has not issued a formal notice to Yadav yet, but has released a copy of the draft electoral rolls showing Yadav’s name, photograph, and details at serial number 416.