EC to Tejashwi: Hand over suspicious EPIC for probe
on Sunday asked
leader
to "hand over for investigation" a voter ID card bearing EPIC number RAB2916120, which he claimed to possess but which, according to the poll body, has "not been issued officially".
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The controversy erupted after Tejashwi alleged at a press conference on Saturday that his name was missing from the draft electoral rolls, warning that he might be unable to contest the upcoming assembly elections later this year.
In a letter addressed to Tejashwi, sub-divisional magistrate of Patna Sadar, who also serves as the electoral registration officer (ERO) for the Digha assembly constituency, said, "Upon verification, it was found that his name figures at serial number 416 of polling station number 204, located in the library building of Bihar Veterinary College and his EPIC number is RAB0456228."
The letter further noted that the EPIC number cited by Tejashwi – RAB2916120 – did not appear to have been officially issued. "So, you are requested to hand over the details of your EPIC card with the original copy of the card that you cited at the press conference to the undersigned for a thorough investigation into the matter," the notice said. However, no specific deadline was mentioned for compliance.
The development came amid intense political sparring between the Election Commission and opposition parties, particularly since the launch of the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar in late June.
The opposition has accused the EC of attempting to disenfranchise marginalised voters and acting under political pressure.
RJD spokesperson Chitranjan Gagan termed the EC notice a "diversionary tactic". "The draft roll by the EC has large-scale irregularities. On the page where Tejashwi's name is listed, numerous irregularities have been identified. We raised the issue of many voters' names missing from the draft rolls, but the EC is now issuing a notice to our leader," he alleged.
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Former Bihar Congress president Akhilesh Prasad Singh accused the EC of abandoning its neutrality. "How can people expect free and fair polling in Bihar if the EC behaves like this?" he asked.
On the other hand, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya launched a blistering attack on the RJD leader. "I still can't believe Tejashwi once compared himself to Steve Jobs, only to now be exposed holding multiple EPICs! From fake comparisons to fake voter IDs, the hypocrisy is staggering," he posted on X.
Malviya added that a former deputy CM holding two EPICs constitutes a "criminal offence" and demanded immediate filing of an FIR.
The confrontation between the INDIA bloc and the Election Commission has intensified since the SIR process began with the opposition staging marches to the EC office in Patna and disrupting the recently concluded session of the Bihar legislature. The Parliament session too remains turbulent over the issue.
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