New Delhi, Aug 4 (IANS) Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav’s claim that his name was omitted from Bihar’s draft electoral roll has sparked a political uproar. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has firmly rejected the allegation, calling it “factually incorrect,” while leaders from the BJP, JD(U), and Shiv Sena have criticised Yadav for “misleading the public” and blamed him for errors in the verification process.

Speaking to IANS, JD(U) leader K.C. Tyagi stated, “The Election Commission has clearly rebutted Tejashwi Yadav’s claim. He must accept the mistake and correct it. It’s unfortunate that a senior leader is making such careless statements.”

BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi also reacted and said, “He himself made a mistake during the process and is now pointing fingers at the Election Commission. But, now he’s been exposed.”

Shiv Sena spokesperson Krishna Hegde added, “Tejashwi Yadav’s name was not in the voters list as he had given incorrect information. Officials have provided him with all the details now, including where his name is registered. Yet, there has been no response from him after that, which is surprising.”

However, Samajwadi Party leader Virendra Singh called on the ECI for clarification.

“The Election Commission must confirm whether the voter ID Tejashwi used to file his nomination as an MLA is valid. Whether his Aadhaar card and EPIC number are correct or not.”

The controversy erupted after Yadav on Saturday alleged that his name had been removed from Bihar’s draft electoral roll, which was released following a month-long Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

The accusation came ahead of Assembly elections scheduled for later this year.

In its response, the Election Commission confirmed that Yadav’s name appears at Serial Number 416 in the draft list and dismissed his claim as baseless.

The issue follows another recent controversy involving Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who also raised concerns about electoral roll manipulation.

Yadav reportedly tried to verify his details using an EPIC number, claiming it was linked to his voter ID. However, the number failed to produce results on the Election Commission’s online portal.

Sources within the Commission have now revealed that the EPIC number cited by Yadav is invalid. Preliminary findings suggest that he may be in possession of two separate voter ID cards.

The Election Commission has launched an enquiry into the matter. If it is found that Yadav holds multiple voter IDs, sources say an FIR will be filed against the former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar under relevant electoral laws.

–IANS

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