Poll Commission Responds to Tejashwi Yadav’s Claim About Missing Names

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav on Saturday accused his name of being absent in Bihar's draft electoral roll, something the Election Commission of India (ECI) quickly denied as "factually incorrect.

The row blew up one day after the ECI published the Bihar draft voter list after a month-long Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise for the coming assembly polls. Yadav accused large-scale irregularities in the draft, with nearly 65 lakh voters (8.5% of the total electorate) having been deleted.

My name is not included in the electoral roll. How will I contest elections?" Yadav demanded, questioning the authenticity of the revision process.

The ECI, however, made it clear that Yadav's name is on the draft list and is listed at Serial Number 416. The election body also rejected his complaint of not being able to locate his details from his Elector's Photo Identity Card (EPIC) number, saying that the number he provided was not valid.

Preliminary verification points to the likelihood that Yadav could hold two voter identity cards, according to ECI sources. The commission has initiated an investigation into the issue and, if true, could register an FIR against the erstwhile Bihar deputy chief minister for having multiple voter identities.

Yadav also alleged that the draft list shared with political parties lacks critical voter information. “There are no addresses, no booth numbers, and no EPIC numbers listed. This makes it impossible to verify whose names have been dropped,” he said. He further claimed that each assembly constituency had seen the removal of 20,000 to 30,000 names.

Rahul Gandhi’s Explosive Accusation Adds Fuel to Fire

Yadav's charges are made a day after Congress MP Rahul Gandhi made even more severe accusations against the ECI, suggesting that the commission was enabling "vote theft" on behalf of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"Votes are being stolen. We have open-and-shut evidence that the Election Commission is also doing vote theft. And I'm not saying this lightly, I'm talking with 100% evidence," Gandhi said in an impassioned speech, according to news agency ANI.

Gandhi said the Congress had carried out a six-month inquiry into the alleged manipulation of voter rolls and had unearthed evidence so powerful, he compared it to an "atom bomb." "When this atom bomb bursts, you will not find the Election Commission in the country," he said, stating that the culprits—retired or on duty—would be dealt with. "This is nothing short of treason."

Election Commission Rejects Allegations, Calls for Evidence

The ECI condemned Gandhi's remarks strongly, calling them "irresponsible" and "baseless." It disclosed that an email and official letter had been sent to the Congress MP on June 12, requesting him to bring along any proof personally.

"Despite daily threats being issued, we request all election officials to turn a blind eye towards such irresponsible remarks and conduct themselves in a fair and transparent manner," the Commission said in a statement. It added, "EC sends a mail to him on 12 June 2025. He does not come. EC sends him a letter on 12 June 2025. He does not reply. He has never written any letter to EC on any matter at all. It is quite strange that he is making unsubstantiated claims and has now even begun threatening EC and its employees. Shameful!

" As the crisis over the voter list deepens, the Election Commission is now facing harsh political pressure from opposition leaders, even as it encourages its officials to stick to neutrality and transparency in the process.