Tejashwi Caught in Voter ID Twist Says It’s Not His Fault

RJD leader and former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav has lashed out at election authorities, accusing them of blaming him for their own blunder after he received a notice over possessing two EPIC (voter ID) numbers. Yadav, who is also the Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, said a “solid reply” is being prepared in response to the notice issued by the Patna district administration—not the Election Commission itself.

Speaking to the media, Tejashwi said he has always voted from a single constituency and cannot be faulted if authorities have issued two voter IDs in his name. “They are trying to pin their own mistake on me,” he said, dismissing the notice as absurd. “Once my reply is submitted, they’ll have nothing left to say,” he added confidently.

The controversy erupted after Yadav claimed he couldn’t find his name while searching online in the recently published draft electoral rolls. He also alleged that many influential citizens, including bureaucrats, had their names missing. Yadav suggested that this large-scale revision was a politically motivated effort to aid the BJP-led NDA ahead of the upcoming state elections.

Also Read: Tej Pratap’s Bold Move: New Coalition for Bihar Polls

In response, Patna district officials shared a screenshot of the draft roll showing both Yadav and his father Lalu Prasad’s names and photographs. Yet, Tejashwi maintained his stance, accusing the officials of changing his EPIC number and creating unnecessary confusion. The NDA, meanwhile, demanded legal action against him for allegedly holding two voter IDs.

Clarifying the matter, the Patna DM said the EPIC number listed in records is the same one Yadav submitted in his 2020 election affidavit. Still, a sub-divisional magistrate issued a letter to the RJD leader, asking him to hand over the voter ID not found in official records for investigation. The episode has now taken a political turn, with both camps accusing each other of foul play.

Before departing for a key INDIA bloc meeting in Delhi hosted by Rahul Gandhi, Tejashwi addressed reporters again, raising national issues like rising U.S. tariffs under Donald Trump and slamming the Modi government’s silence. He also dismissed suggestions that the NDA had outpaced the Opposition by holding its recent parliamentary party meeting.

On being challenged by gangster-turned-politician Anant Singh, who threatened to make Tejashwi "lose his deposit" if pitted against him, the RJD leader brushed it off with sarcasm. “Ask our spokesperson Bantu Singh to reply to such bravado,” he quipped.

As the political heat rises ahead of Bihar’s assembly polls, this voter ID controversy has only intensified the clash between the RJD-led INDIA bloc and the ruling NDA. Tejashwi, widely seen as the Opposition’s CM face, is clearly not backing down.

Also Read: EC probes Tejashwi Yadav’s unofficial EPIC card claim