Bihar Politics: Tejashwi Yadav’s Voter List Allegations and Election Commission’s Response

The political climate in Bihar is heating up as the state moves closer to the 2025 Assembly elections, with scrutiny focused on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the Electoral Roll. Allegations of irregularities have surfaced, including claims of deceased individuals being listed while eligible voters are omitted. Tejashwi Yadav of the RJD has stated that his name is missing from the draft voter list, even after having filled the enumeration form. He raised questions about how he would participate in the upcoming elections. Janata Dal (United) has responded by accusing Yadav of misleading the public about the voter list. During a press conference, Yadav reiterated that his name was not present in the electoral roll, even after providing his EPIC number. The Patna district administration countered these claims, clarifying that Yadav’s name is listed, although his polling station and serial number have been altered. Yadav has questioned how many others might be affected by similar changes, suggesting a potential conspiracy to remove voters. JDU’s chief spokesperson, Neeraj Kumar, called Tejashwi a “political fraud”. The Election Commission (ECI) has immediately refuted Yadav’s claims, stating his name is included in the draft electoral roll. Yadav has not yet commented on the ECI’s statement. The situation has increased the political tension in Bihar, just before the elections. Bihar’s draft electoral roll has gone live, with a minority of the 7.23 crore applicants submitting documents. The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the Electoral Roll is currently underway in Bihar, as the state prepares for its upcoming polls. The Chief Electoral Officer of Bihar and 243 Electoral Officers will invite the voter or any recognised political party to file their objections regarding any discrepancies in the electoral roll. The objections can be made from 1st August to 1st September 2025. ECI issued instructions for conducting Special Intensive Revision exercise in Bihar on 24th of last month. The objectives of the exercise were to ensure the inclusion of names of all eligible citizens in the electoral roll in a transparent manner. The last intensive revision for Bihar was conducted by the Commission in the year 2003. The voters can check their details at ECI website.