Tejashwi Yadav’s Allegation of Electoral Roll Omission

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav has raised concerns over the omission of his name from Bihar’s draft electoral roll. He claimed that his name, along with nearly 65 lakh other voters, was missing from the list released by the Election Commission of India (ECI). This claim comes as the state prepares for its upcoming assembly elections, following a month-long special intensive revision (SIR) exercise conducted by the ECI.

Election Commission’s Firm Rebuttal

The Election Commission has strongly refuted Mr. Yadav’s allegations, describing them as “factually incorrect.” According to the poll body, Mr. Yadav’s name is indeed present in the draft roll, listed at Serial Number 416. This clarification comes amidst a backdrop of recent allegations of electoral manipulation by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, which also required a response from the ECI.

Verification Attempts and Further Claims

Mr. Yadav attempted to verify his voter details using what he claimed was his Elector’s Photo Identity Card (EPIC) number. However, he reportedly failed to retrieve his information from the Election Commission’s online portal. He further alleged that approximately 20 to 30 thousand names have been removed from each assembly constituency, totaling around 65 lakh voters or about 8.5% of the total electorate.

Concerns Over Voter List Transparency

Mr. Yadav criticized the Election Commission for not providing addresses, booth numbers, or EPIC numbers in the voter list, making it difficult to identify whose names have been removed. He suggested that this lack of transparency could hinder efforts to verify and contest these omissions.

Investigation and Potential Legal Action

Election Commission sources have indicated that the EPIC number quoted by Mr. Yadav is invalid. Preliminary verification suggests that Mr. Yadav might possess two different voter ID cards. The poll body has initiated an investigation into these claims and stated that an FIR will be filed against Mr. Yadav if he is found to hold multiple voter ID cards.