ECI Refutes Tejashwi Yadav's Claim On EPIC Number As Baseless

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has questioned Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) Tejaswi Prasad Yadav for mentioning an EPIC number, that does not exist, while searching his name in the new draft electoral roll prepared after Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

Sources said Mr Yadav used the Electoral Roll with EPIC No RAB0456228 for filing his nomination papers on affidavit in 2020. His name with this EPIC number exists in the draft Electoral Rolls. published as per SIR on August 1. He was having this EPIC number even in the electoral Roll in 2015.

The other EPIC number -- RAB2916120 – that Yadav mentioned on Saturday while searching his name has been found to be “non-existing”. Sources said more than ten years old records have been checked but no records have been found for the second EPIC number yet and his “baseless” argument that his name was removed has already been refuted by ECI.

“It is highly likely that the second EPIC was never made through an official channel. Further inquiries are on to understand that reality of the second EPIC number, whether that is a forged document,” ECI sources said.

Meanwhile, the ECI said on Sunday that no political party in Bihar has so far approached it for inclusion or removal of names from the draft electoral roll published on August 1. The EC said that between 3 PM on August 1 and 3 PM on August 3, no demand under claims and objections has been received. But individually, 941 claims and objections have been received from voters for the inclusion of names or for the removal of those they claim are ineligible from the voter list. Political parties and voters have one month till September 1 to demand inclusion or removal of names from the voter list.