The upcoming Bihar Assembly elections in 2025 have ignited a fresh wave of controversy, focusing on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Allegations of irregularities have surfaced, including the presence of deceased individuals and the absence of eligible voters. Tejashwi Yadav, the RJD’s CM candidate and son of Lalu Prasad Yadav, has claimed his name is missing from the Election Commission’s draft voter list. He mentioned filling out the required form during the SIR process. He questioned how he would be able to contest the elections. Janata Dal (United) responded sharply, accusing Yadav of intentionally misleading the public regarding the voter list. At a Patna press conference, Tejashwi stated that he had completed the enumeration form, yet his name was not in the electoral roll. He also stated that his information could not be found even when entering his EPIC number. The Patna district administration immediately refuted Yadav’s claims, stating that his name is registered, although his polling station and serial number have been changed. Tejashwi responded to the change, questioning the number of individuals whose EPIC details were modified, suggesting a potential conspiracy. JDU’s chief spokesperson, Neeraj Kumar, condemned Tejashwi, branding him a ‘political fraud’ for what they described as misleading the public. The Election Commission (ECI) swiftly responded, dismissing Yadav’s claims as ‘false and factually incorrect.’ The ECI confirmed that his name is listed at a specific serial number in the draft electoral roll. This dispute has significantly heightened the political tension in Bihar. The state’s draft electoral roll was released on Friday, with a relatively small percentage of the 7.23 crore applicants having submitted required documentation. The SIR process, a voter list verification initiative, is currently underway. The Chief Electoral Officer of Bihar and 243 Electoral Officers are inviting objections to discrepancies in the electoral roll from August 1, 2025, to September 1, 2025. The ECI’s aim is to create a transparent and inclusive electoral roll. The last such intensive revision was conducted in 2003. Voters can verify their details on the ECI website.
Bihar Elections: Tejashwi Yadav’s Voter List Dispute Sparks Political Firestorm
