‘ECI cancelled one of my voter IDs without informing me’: Tejashwi on dual EPIC row

Patna: RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday said that the Election Commission of India (ECI) cancelled one of his Elector Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers without conveying it to him.

“I was not aware that the Election Commission cancelled one of my EPIC numbers. The Election Commission did it without my knowledge. It is up to them to explain this matter,” Tejashwi told reporters in Patna.

The controversy emerged on August 2, when, during a press conference, Tejashwi demonstrated that his EPIC number was not appearing on the Election Commission’s website and mobile app.

Following this, the Patna Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) cum Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) issued two notices directing him to surrender one of his EPIC numbers.

Tejashwi submitted his reply to the Electoral Registration Officer-cum-SDM of Patna on August 8.

Reiterating his allegations of large-scale irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list, Tejashwi said, “We have raised several irregularities before the Election Commission, but neither the Chief Election Commissioner of India nor the Chief Electoral Officer of Bihar has responded. They are not holding any press conferences – perhaps top BJP leaders are preventing them from interacting with the media.”

Accusing the ruling party of misusing institutions, he added, “Earlier, the BJP used agencies like ED and CBI, now it is using the Election Commission.”

He alleged that the Commission is robbing votes at the behest of the BJP.

Citing examples, he claimed that “Muzaffarpur Mayor and senior BJP leader Nirmala Devi’s name appears in two separate voter lists within the same constituency, with two different EPIC cards and mismatched ages”.

He further alleged that Nirmala Devi’s two brothers-in-law also hold duplicate registrations with separate IDs.

Tejashwi also pointed out that after the RJD raised the issue of two EPIC numbers of Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha, the Election Commission served notice to him.

IANS