The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued a notice to Tejashwi Yadav, Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly and senior Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader, over a controversial claim he made during a recent press conference. Yadav had alleged that his name was missing from the draft voter list and showed a voter ID to support his claim—an ID the poll body now says is not officially issued.

According to the ECI, Yadav’s name is included in the electoral rolls. It appears at serial number 416 of polling station number 204, located at the library of Bihar Animal Sciences University in Patna, under EPIC number RAB0456228. This is the same EPIC number Yadav used in the 2015 and 2020 elections. Officials confirmed that his details are correctly listed in the updated draft roll released on August 1.

In contrast, the voter ID card Yadav displayed during his press conference carried a different EPIC number: RAB2916120. According to preliminary checks by the Election Commission, this number does not appear to have been officially issued. The ECI has now requested Yadav to share the details of the ID he presented so that a proper investigation can be conducted.

The matter gained public attention after Patna’s district administration shared the notice on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) at 4:13 pm on Sunday.

What Happened at the Press Conference

On Saturday, during a press meet, Tejashwi Yadav criticized the ongoing Special Summary Revision of the electoral rolls in Bihar. To demonstrate his concern, he connected his phone to a large screen and performed a live search for his EPIC number. The search returned a result stating "no records found".

“Now look! I am myself not registered as a voter. This disqualifies me from contesting elections. Perhaps I am no longer a citizen and have lost the right to live in this house,” Yadav remarked sarcastically.

Election Commission’s Response

The ECI responded firmly the same day, calling Yadav’s allegation “baseless.” It released a copy of the draft electoral roll showing his name, photograph, and voter details—proving that he is, in fact, registered.

The Commission also clarified that the EPIC number he has used in past elections is still valid and active in the latest rolls.

What’s Next

With the notice issued, the ECI now awaits a response from Tejashwi Yadav regarding the questionable voter ID he presented. The investigation will hinge on the information he provides.