EC probes Tejashwi Yadav’s unofficial EPIC card claim
Tejashwi Yadav Faces Voter ID Fraud Allegations
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has directed Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav to submit a voter ID card he claimed to possess, which preliminary investigations indicate was “not issued officially.” The controversy arose after Yadav, the Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, claimed on August 2 during a press conference that his name was missing from the draft electoral rolls published under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. He further alleged his Elector’s Photo Identity Card (EPIC) number had been “changed,” displaying an online search with EPIC number RAB2916120 that returned no records.
The ECI countered Yadav’s claims, confirming his name appears at serial number 416 of Polling Station No. 204 (Library Building of Bihar Animal Sciences University) with EPIC number RAB0456228, as per his 2020 election affidavit. In a letter from the Sub Divisional Magistrate of Patna Sadar-cum-Electoral Registration Officer for Digha, Yadav was requested to hand over the questionable EPIC card for a thorough investigation, as it appears to be unofficial. Patna District Magistrate Thiyagarajan S M stated, “If he is in possession of another EPIC card with another number, it is a matter of investigation,” suggesting potential legal repercussions for possessing multiple voter IDs, which is prohibited.
The ruling NDA coalition, including BJP’s Ajay Alok, JDU’s Neeraj Kumar, and Lok Janshakti Party’s Rajesh Bhatt, called for an FIR against Yadav, accusing him of voter ID fraud. They linked the issue to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s recent assertion of having an “atom bomb” of evidence against the ECI for alleged “vote theft” favoring the BJP. NDA leaders criticized the INDIA bloc, suggesting Yadav’s actions are an attempt to deflect from an expected loss in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. They likened the controversy to “anticipatory bails sought by criminals,” accusing the opposition of undermining the SIR process. The ECI’s probe into the unofficial EPIC card continues, raising concerns about electoral integrity in Bihar.
Also Read: Tejashwi Yadav’s Name Missing from Bihar Voter List Sparks Political Clash
