Patna: A day after he claimed that his name was deleted from the draft electoral rolls, the Election Commission (EC) on Sunday issued a notice to RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav and asked him to provide the details of the EPIC number he had mentioned during a press conference.
The draft electoral roll was published as part of the special intensive revision of the electoral rolls. On the other hand, BJP demanded registration of an FIR against Tejashwi for holding two EPIC cards as it was a criminal offence.
Electoral registration officer (ERO) of Digha assembly constituency, who is also the sub divisional officer (SDO) of Patna Sadar, in the notice directed Tejashwi to make available the details of EPIC card along with the original copy of the card concerned to him so that a through probe into the matter could be conducted. ERO said that in the preliminary investigation, it had been found that the EPIC number RAB2926120 had not been officially issued, as claimed by Tejashwi.
While addressing a press conference on Saturday, Tejashwi searched for details of his EPIC card by using EPIC number RAB2916120 on the Election Commission’s portal, his name did not appear. “How can I contest elections when my name is missing from the electoral rolls,” he asked.
On the other hand, Patna district magistrate Dr Thiyagarajan SM, dismissed the allegation and clarified that Tejashwi’s EPIC number is RAB0456228. Tejashwi is also the leader of the opposition in the state assembly.
The same EPIC number was mentioned by him (Tejashwi) in the affidavit submitted during the Bihar assembly elections, 2020, where it can be seen at serial number 511. The DM maintained that the correct EPIC number is RAB0456228.
BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya commented on X, “The Election Commission has issued a notice to RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav after it was found that he holds two different EPIC numbers: RAB0456228 and RAB2916120. The EPIC number RAB2916120, which Tejashwi mentioned during his press conference, was never officially issued. The Commission has asked him to submit the card for further investigation. The ECI also rejected Tejashwi Prasad’s allegations, stating that he used the Electoral Roll with EPIC number RAB0456228 while filing his nomination papers and affidavit in 2020. A former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar holding two EPIC cards is a criminal offence, and an FIR must be filed immediately."
Reacting sharply to the notice, RJD spokesperson Chittaranjan Gagan alleged that the EC at the behest of the BJP, wanted to divert attention from the questions asked from the election body by the INDIA bloc`s leaders including Tejashwi and demand for clarification of several points. “One Mantu Kumar also lives in the same house where Tejashwi ji lives. Similarly, house number 107 has the names of voters with different surnames. Do people of the same family use different surnames?,” he asked.
