Election Commission of India writes to Tejashwi Yadav to hand over his EPIC card
Soon after his claim the ECI said on Saturday (August 2, 2025) that Mr. Yadav was making 'baseless' claims and furnished the extract of the draft roll where his name was present.
However, confusion prevailed over the fact that the EPIC number quoted by Mr. Yadav was different from the one which the poll body gave him in the list.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav had claimed that he voted in last year's Lok Sabha elections using the voter ID card having the EPIC number RAB2916120 which is now missing from the draft rolls, the ECI list shows the EPIC number to be RAB0456228.
The Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) of Digha Assembly constituency under which Mr. Yadav cast his vote has written a letter to Mr. Yadav.
'It is to be informed that in the press conference held on 02.08.2025, you told that your name is not mentioned in the draft voter list. After investigation, it was found that your name is mentioned at serial number 416 of polling station number 204 (Library Building of Bihar Animal Science University), whose EPIC number is RAB0456228,' ERO stated in the letter.
In the letter, there is no time frame mentioned to provide the EPIC card. Mr Yadav is a voter of the Digha Assembly seat and represents the Raghopur Assembly seat.
In front of the media Mr. Yadav had filled in his EPIC number RAB2916120 on the ECI's official website and after entering the captcha, it was not found. Mr. Yadav ahd alleged that the ECI was working as a cell of the BJP.
He had also asked the ECI how he would contest the upcoming Assembly Elections when his name is not showing in the draft list.
It further stated, 'According to you, from the quote of your press conference, your EPIC number is RAB2916120. According to the preliminary investigation, EPIC number RAB2916120 does not appear to be officially issued. Therefore, you are requested to provide the details of the mentioned EPIC card (along with the original copy of the card) undersigned, so that it can be thoroughly investigated.'
Reacting to the letter sent by ERO cum the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO), Patna Sadar RJD spokesperson Chittaranjan Gagan said that the ECI at the behest of the BJP, wants to divert attention from the questions asked to the ECI by the leaders of the INDIA bloc, including the Leader of Opposition demands for clarification of several points.
Meanwhile, the ECI said that no political party in Bihar has so far approached with the request of removal and inclusion of names from draft rolls. The ECI in a press statement signed with Assistant Director Apurva Kumar Singh stated that no claim and objections were received from political parties between 3 p.m. on August 1 and 3 p.m. of August 3, 2025.
However, ECI has received 941 claims and objections from the voters.
On the other hand, National Democratic Alliance (NDA) spokesperson on jointly urged the ECI to take a cognizance of Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav's two voter ID cards and file a case against him.
BJP national spokesperson Ajay Alok, JD(U) chief spokesperson Neeraj Kumar, LJP (Ram Vilas)'s Rajesh Bhatt, Hindustani Awam Morcha's (Secular) Shyam Sundar and Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) spokesperson Nitin Bharti and BJP media in-charge Danish Iqbal were present in this press conference.
In the joint press conference at BJP office, the NDA spokespersons said that where did the two EPIC numbers come from? They asserted that no person can have two voter ID cards and If someone does, it is a crime.
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