EC asks Tejashwi to hand over his EPIC card for investigation as it was not issued officially
The leader of the opposition in the Bihar assembly had on Saturday demonstrated an online search, with the EPIC number, to claim that his name was missing in the draft electoral rolls published as part of special intensive revision (SIR) and, upon rebuttal from the authorities concerned, alleged that his voter ID card number was 'changed'.
In a letter addressed to the former deputy CM, the Sub Divisional Magistrate of Patna Sadar-cum-Electoral Registration Officer for Digha assembly constituency said, 'Our preliminary investigation suggests that the EPIC number you mentioned at the press conference on August 2 was not issued officially. You are therefore requested to hand over the EPIC card in original for detailed investigation'.
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Tejashwi promises reply to EC's notice on two EPICs
Patna: Leader of opposition in the state assembly, Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, on Tuesday said he would send his reply to the Election Commission 's notice over allegedly possessing two EPICs. He also took potshots at the poll body while his father, RJD president, remained tight-lipped over alleged discrepancies in the draft electoral rolls. The EC clarified that not a single claim or objection was filed by any political party in the past five days since the draft electoral rolls were published on Aug 1. Talking to reporters here on Tuesday before leaving for Jharkhand to attend the funeral of JMM founder Shibu Soren, Tejashwi said he would send his reply to the EC's notice. "Jawab diya jayega…Kaun si badi chiz hai (The reply will be given but what's the big deal in it)?" Alleging large-scale irregularities in the preparation of electoral rolls, Tejashwi said the RJD was also compiling the multiple discrepancies in the list, which would be sent both to the EC as well as the court. "We have demanded booth-wise data from the EC since many names have been deliberately excluded. In some houses, over 50 voters have been added. These are not minor errors, but serious irregularities. We will send this evidence to the Election Commission and also submit it to the court," Tejashwi said. His remarks came amid the row that Tejashwi possesses dual EPIC. The EC, while taking the matter seriously, has issued a notice to him, asking him to provide the original copy of the EPIC number that he claimed was deleted from the voter's list, for a thorough probe into the matter. The EC said no claim or objection has been submitted by any political party so far. "The EC is repeatedly stating that no eligible elector should be left out and no ineligible elector should be included in the final electoral roll of Bihar. Submit your claims and objections to rectify any errors in the draft electoral roll of Bihar published on Aug 1," the EC said in a press statement on Tuesday. It added that so far not even a single claim or objection has been submitted by any political party in the past five days since the draft roll was published. Meanwhile, on Monday, a complaint was registered by an advocate, Rajiv Ranjan, with the Digha police station in Patna, seeking an investigation into the "issuance of two voter ID cards" to Tejashwi. "We have forwarded the complaint to the district election office, which is the competent authority to decide on such matters. An FIR may be lodged if such a direction is received from the poll authorities," a police officer told the reporters. The advocate has requested that appropriate legal action be initiated in the matter.
