On August 1, the Election Commission released a draft ahead of the final voter list in Bihar. The political storm ensued shortly after the draft’s release. Tejashwi Yadav, an RJD leader and former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, raised serious queries against the Election Commission, claiming that his name was absent from the draft voter list released by the commission. In response, the Election Commission clarified that Tejashwi's name is indeed present.
Tejashwi further alleged that his EPIC number (Elector Photo Identity Card number) has been altered. Following this, Patna's District Magistrate asserted that the opposition leader's name is correctly included, and Tejashwi's claims are incorrect. However, the voter list issue is also pending in the Supreme Court. The apex court is set to hear the case, stirring political tensions in Bihar. The opposition continues to criticize the Election Commission, dubbing it a 'lapdog commission'. In light of Tejashwi’s accusations, let’s sequentially unravel this entire issue.
After declaring the draft voter list, the Election Commission faced allegations from Tejashwi Yadav claiming, "My name isn't there." Expressing his concerns, Tejashwi said, 'I filled out the counting form in the special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral roll in Bihar. But my name doesn't appear in the draft voter list. How will I contest the assembly elections?' Upon checking the Election Commission’s portal with his EPIC No. RAB2916120, Tejashwi came across a 'No Records Found' message. However, the Election Commission promptly released a list with Tejashwi’s photo and dismissed the allegations of omitting his name.
Source: aajtak
How did the Election Commission respond?
The Election Commission refuted Tejashwi Yadav’s allegations by issuing a fact check and confirmed that his name is indeed included in the draft voter list, providing evidence such as a voter list showing Tejashwi’s photo, age, father's name, and house number. The commission urged him to carefully review the list where his name is visibly present.
'My EPIC has Changed, Who Else Might be Affected?'
Tejashwi Yadav continued to claim that his EPIC number had been altered, suspecting it as a 'conspiracy' that might have resulted in several names being unjustly omitted from the voter list.
Tejashwi remarked, 'If my EPIC can be modified, how many others have faced the same fate?' The EPIC number is a unique identifier for voters. However, former ECI Joint Director Mohammad Amin clarified to Aajtak that changing an EPIC number is not possible.
Reacting to Tejashwi’s accusations, Patna's District Magistrate Dr. Tyagrajan SM clearly stated that Tejashwi Yadav's name remains in the electoral roll, correcting that his claims are factually incorrect.
What did DM Tyagrajan say?
Dr. Tyagrajan confirmed, 'Opponent leader Tejashwi Yadav’s name is assuredly part of the voter list. The assertion about its removal is completely false. He remains registered at the same voting booth as before, which is publicly accessible.' He encouraged all voters in Patna to verify their information in the draft voter list personally.
Eliminating Confusion
DM emphasized, 'There is no confusion here. Anyone can verify their inclusion on the public portal. The election process is completely transparent, urging unwavering trust from voters.'
Currently, the political spat between the Election Commission and the opposition continues over this issue. The opposition has also alleged that individuals marked as deceased on the voter list are indeed alive.
Election Commission's response
The Election Commission addressed the entire dispute, stating...
1) Accurate electoral rolls are the foundation of any democracy. 2) According to SIR (Special Intensive Revision), the claim and objection period spans a full month— from August 1 to September 1. 3) If any eligible person's name is missing from the list or an ineligible person has been added, they should approach their party’s 47,506 BLAs (Booth Level Agents) to file claims and objections. 4) In the past 24 hours, no BLA from any political party, including RJD, has presented any cases to the BLO (Booth Level Officer). 5) All their BLAs agreed to thoroughly examine the booth-wise proforma lists provided to them on August 1. 6) The Election Commission is baffled by the continuous unfounded accusations of omission.
