E-Paper
EC junks Tejashwi Yadav's claim that his name missing from draft Bihar electoral rolls
Tejashwi Yadav claimed his name was missing in the draft electoral rolls published as part of special intensive revision in Bihar, ahead of the assembly polls.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday firmly refuted Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav’s claim that his name was missing from the draft electoral rolls, calling the allegation “baseless” and releasing documentary proof showing his voter details intact.
Yadav, who is the Leader of Opposition in Bihar, had earlier in the day claimed at a press conference that he was unable to find his name in the rolls published as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process ahead of the assembly polls. Connecting his phone to a large screen, he demonstrated an online search for his EPIC number that returned “no records found.”
“Now look! I am myself not registered as a voter. This disqualifies me from contesting elections. Perhaps, I cease to be treated as a citizen and stand deprived of the right to live in this house,” Yadav said.
The Election Commission responded by releasing a copy of the draft rolls showing Yadav’s name, photograph, and details at serial number 416. Officials confirmed that the EPIC number Yadav used to contest elections in 2015 and 2020 — RAB0456228 — remains valid and is reflected in the latest electoral roll published on August 1.
In contrast, a second EPIC number used by Yadav in his search — RAB2916120 — was found to be invalid. “More than ten years of records have been checked. There is no trace of this second EPIC number. It is likely it was never issued officially, and we are now looking into whether it is forged,” an ECI source said.
Yadav also alleged that the booth-level officer who visited his residence failed to provide a receipt after collecting his filled-up form. “I had even clicked a picture while submitting it,” he said, adding that such lapses raise serious questions about the integrity of the process.
Highlighting the importance of digital access, he remarked, “Would you expect someone living outside Bihar to physically verify their name in the rolls? If someone like me is affected, what chance does a common citizen have? Even an IAS couple has reportedly found their names missing.”
