Voter list: Tejashwi Yadav Says Name Missing
ECI, in a statement, stated, "It has come to our attention that Tejashwi Yadav has made a mischievous claim that his name does not appear in the draft electoral roll. His name is listed at Serial Number 416 in the Draft Electoral Roll. Therefore, any claim stating that his name is not included in the draft electoral roll is false and factually incorrect"
By : ANI
Update: 2025-08-02 10:59 GMT
New Delhi: After RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav claimed on Saturday that his name was missing from the draft electoral rolls published by the Election Commission (EC) as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in Bihar, the EC quickly dismissed the allegation as “baseless.” Officials clarified that his name appears at serial number 416 in the relevant portion of the draft roll.
The EC also stated that no booth-level agent (BLA) from any political party, including the RJD, had submitted a single claim or objection to booth-level officers in the past 24 hours. The BJP, too, refuted Yadav’s claim by posting a copy of the voter list showing his name and address. Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Samrat Choudhary, along with the Patna district administration, also rejected the allegation, sharing a screenshot of the draft rolls displaying Yadav’s details, including his photograph.
At a press conference, Tejashwi Yadav connected his phone to a large screen and attempted to search for his Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) number, which returned the result: “no records found.” He exclaimed, “Now look! I am not even registered as a voter. This disqualifies me from contesting elections. Perhaps I am no longer treated as a citizen and have lost the right to live in this house.” Yadav, who is the Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, also claimed that he was not issued any receipt by the booth-level officer who had visited his residence with the enumeration form. “But, leaving nothing to chance, I photographed myself handing over the signed and duly filled form,” he added.
In response, the Election Commission emphasized that accurate electoral rolls are the foundation of democracy. It clarified that the claims and objections period under the SIR runs from August 1 to September 1. “He [Tejashwi] should ask the 47,506 booth-level agents of his party to file claims and objections if they find that the name of any eligible voter is missing or any ineligible name has been included,” the EC said in an official statement. “All BLAs have been instructed to carefully examine the booth-wise draft lists provided to them on August 1. The EC fails to understand why he continues to make baseless allegations that his name is missing,” it added.
In a post on X, Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary accused Yadav of lacking the competence to search the electoral list properly. “Your name is clearly listed alongside your father, respected Lalu Prasad (RJD supremo). You would do well to shut your shop of fraudulent and false claims,” he said.
Amit Malviya, national head of the BJP’s Information and Technology Department, also weighed in: “Fake News Alert: Tejashwi Yadav’s claim that his name is missing from the electoral roll post-Special Intensive Revision is false. His name appears at Serial Number 416. Please verify facts before amplifying misinformation. Deliberate attempts to mislead voters must be called out.”
The Patna district administration also posted on X, debunking reports that Yadav’s name was missing from the draft rolls. “Upon investigation, it was confirmed that his name is present, and his designated polling booth remains at the Veterinary College Library, as before, though there have been changes in his serial number and polling station details,” the post clarified, along with a screenshot of the updated draft roll.
In another post, Malviya added, “This is extremely serious, if Tejashwi Yadav quoted an EPIC number different from the one recorded with the Election Commission and in his election affidavits, it could amount to criminal misconduct. But let’s be clear, this is not an isolated incident. The ongoing Special Intensive Revision is designed to detect and eliminate such duplicate or fraudulent entries. Electoral integrity cannot be compromised, regardless of an individual’s political stature.”
Meanwhile, the EC noted that between 3 pm on August 1 and 3 pm on August 2, political parties collectively filed zero claims and objections for the inclusion or deletion of names in the rolls. However, during the same 24-hour period, 3,223 young voters submitted applications, along with the required declaration forms.
At a press conference, Tejashwi Yadav connected his phone to a large screen and attempted to search for his Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) number, which returned the result: “no records found.” He exclaimed, “Now look! I am not even registered as a voter. This disqualifies me from contesting elections. Perhaps I am no longer treated as a citizen and have lost the right to live in this house.” Yadav, who is the Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly, also claimed that he was not issued any receipt by the booth-level officer who had visited his residence with the enumeration form. “But, leaving nothing to chance, I photographed myself handing over the signed and duly filled form,” he added.
In response, the Election Commission emphasized that accurate electoral rolls are the foundation of democracy. It clarified that the claims and objections period under the SIR runs from August 1 to September 1. “He [Tejashwi] should ask the 47,506 booth-level agents of his party to file claims and objections if they find that the name of any eligible voter is missing or any ineligible name has been included,” the EC said in an official statement. “All BLAs have been instructed to carefully examine the booth-wise draft lists provided to them on August 1. The EC fails to understand why he continues to make baseless allegations that his name is missing,” it added.
In a post on X, Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary accused Yadav of lacking the competence to search the electoral list properly. “Your name is clearly listed alongside your father, respected Lalu Prasad (RJD supremo). You would do well to shut your shop of fraudulent and false claims,” he said.
Amit Malviya, national head of the BJP’s Information and Technology Department, also weighed in: “Fake News Alert: Tejashwi Yadav’s claim that his name is missing from the electoral roll post-Special Intensive Revision is false. His name appears at Serial Number 416. Please verify facts before amplifying misinformation. Deliberate attempts to mislead voters must be called out.”
The Patna district administration also posted on X, debunking reports that Yadav’s name was missing from the draft rolls. “Upon investigation, it was confirmed that his name is present, and his designated polling booth remains at the Veterinary College Library, as before, though there have been changes in his serial number and polling station details,” the post clarified, along with a screenshot of the updated draft roll.
In another post, Malviya added, “This is extremely serious, if Tejashwi Yadav quoted an EPIC number different from the one recorded with the Election Commission and in his election affidavits, it could amount to criminal misconduct. But let’s be clear, this is not an isolated incident. The ongoing Special Intensive Revision is designed to detect and eliminate such duplicate or fraudulent entries. Electoral integrity cannot be compromised, regardless of an individual’s political stature.”
Meanwhile, the EC noted that between 3 pm on August 1 and 3 pm on August 2, political parties collectively filed zero claims and objections for the inclusion or deletion of names in the rolls. However, during the same 24-hour period, 3,223 young voters submitted applications, along with the required declaration forms.