A complaint has been lodged at Patna’s Digha police station against Bihar Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav, alleging that he holds two separate voter identity cards, a potential criminal offence under Indian election law. The complaint, filed by advocate Rajiv Ranjan, has not yet led to the registration of a First Information Report (FIR).
This development comes at a politically charged time, as the Election Commission of India (ECI) carries out a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections scheduled for October–November. The controversy began after Yadav, during a press conference on Saturday, claimed his name had been deleted from the voter list.
Linking his phone to a large screen, Yadav searched for his Elector's Photo Identity Card (EPIC) number, RAB2916120, on the ECI website, only to show a “no records found” result. “They have removed my name too, if this is what they’re doing to me, imagine the scale of deletion across the state,” he said, accusing the Commission of arbitrary name removals.
However, the Election Commission refuted Yadav’s claim and issued a notice stating that the EPIC number he displayed was never officially issued. Instead, the ECI confirmed that Yadav is listed under a valid EPIC number, RAB0456228, at serial number 416 of polling station number 204 at Bihar Animal Sciences University in Patna. The Commission has asked Yadav to submit full details of the EPIC he cited at the press conference. A probe is likely to follow once the required information is received.
Meanwhile, the BJP has seized on the matter, accusing Yadav of deliberately misleading the public.
Opposition parties, including Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), have been alleging that the ECI, under pressure from the ruling BJP and its allies, is selectively removing names from the electoral rolls to tilt the electoral process in their favour. The publication of draft voter lists has already sparked tension across the state.
