New Delhi: A day after Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav alleged that his name was missing from the updated voter list released by the Election Commission, the BJP on Sunday trashed his claims, accusing the opposition of misleading the public and maligning democratic institutions.
At a press conference here on Sunday, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra cited official confirmation from the EC and the district magistrate of Patna, stating that Tejashwi Yadav’s name is indeed present in the electoral roll at serial number 416, polling station No. 2004, Library Building, Animal Science University, Digha Vidhan Sabha constituency.
During his press interaction yesterday, Tejashwi Yadav shared EPIC number RAB2916120, which he claimed returned no results on the voter search portal. However, records from his 2020 election affidavit list a different number, RAB0456228, said Patra, and raised concerns over the existence of two EPIC numbers. He also questioned whether this suggested duplicate voter registration.
Patra called this discrepancy a matter of national significance, emphasising that if a senior political leader possesses two voter IDs, it reflects poorly on the electoral system’s integrity. “If the Sarvochh Neta (supreme leader) has two EPIC numbers, what about party workers?” he asked.
The BJP spokesperson also accused opposition parties, particularly the RJD and Congress, of running coordinated campaigns to discredit constitutional institutions such as the Election Commission. He alleged that such actions were an attempt to undermine public trust and delegitimise free and fair elections.
Patra alleged that the current controversy is linked to the opposition's past practices of booth capturing and electoral manipulation, claiming that the fear of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process has led to panic within parties like RJD.
The BJP leader said, “This issue is no longer just about one leader’s voter ID. It is about the sanctity of India’s electoral process. The people of India deserve honest answers from their leaders.”
