Tejashwi Yadav Claims His Name Is Missing From Voter List, Poll Body Counters with Proof

RJD leader and former Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav on Saturday sparked a fresh controversy by claiming his name was missing from the revised draft voters’ list published a day earlier in the poll-bound state. The Election Commission (EC) promptly refuted the allegation, labeling it a “mischievous claim” and releasing documentary evidence to prove that Yadav is, in fact, on the electoral roll.

At a press conference in Patna, Yadav demonstrated his claim by entering his Election Photo Identity Card (EPIC) number into the poll body’s official mobile application, which returned a “no records found” error. “My name is also not on the voter list. How will I contest the elections?” the RJD leader asked, adding fuel to the ongoing political fire over the voter list revision.

However, the Election Commission immediately countered by releasing a copy of the electoral rolls showing Yadav’s details. The EC confirmed he was listed at serial number 416 at a polling booth in the Veterinary College in Patna. “Any claim stating that his name is not included in the draft electoral roll is false and factually incorrect,” the Commission stated, although it was noted that the EPIC number provided by the poll body differed from the one Yadav had shared.

This political drama unfolds against the backdrop of the highly contentious Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar, which has resulted in the exclusion of 65 lakh names from the draft list. The opposition has vehemently criticized the exercise as a “conspiracy” to disenfranchise its core voter base. Yadav doubled down on this criticism, questioning whether the 65 lakh voters were given proper notice or a chance to appeal before their names were deleted. He accused the constitutional body of “acting dictatorially” and “ending democracy.”

The BJP’s IT cell chief, Amit Malviya, quickly weighed in, accusing Yadav of spreading misinformation and making “deliberate attempts to mislead voters.” The Election Commission has stated that the draft rolls are now public and a “claims and objections” phase is open until September 1, allowing for corrections before the final list is published.