The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday issued a notice to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and Bihar’s Leader of Opposition, Tejashwi Yadav, over allegations that he holds two different Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers — RAB0456228 and RAB2916120.
The controversy erupted after Tejashwi Yadav, during a press conference on August 2, claimed that his EPIC number had been changed and that his name was missing from the draft electoral rolls in Bihar.
However, the Election Commission dismissed the claim, stating that his name is indeed present on the rolls and that the EPIC number used by Yadav in his 2020 election affidavit — RAB0456228 — remains valid.
In its official communication to Yadav, the ECI clarified that the EPIC number RAB2916120, which he referenced during the press conference, does not exist in official records.
“Upon verification, it was found that your name is recorded at Serial Number 416 of Polling Station No. 124 (located in the Library Building of Bihar Engineering University), and the valid EPIC number is RAB0456228,” the ECI stated.
The poll body further added that RAB2916120 appears to be non-existent in their database and requested Yadav to submit the physical copy of the card he referred to, for further verification and investigation.
The ECI also noted that Yadav had used the same EPIC number (RAB0456228) while filing his nomination papers during the 2020 Bihar Assembly elections. “Any claim stating that his name is not included in the draft electoral roll is false and factually incorrect,” the Commission said.
The issue quickly escalated into a political flashpoint. BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra addressed a press conference, accusing Yadav of misleading voters and attempting to undermine the credibility of the Election Commission.
“This means he had two EPIC numbers. Did he also have two voter IDs?” Patra asked, suggesting that the RJD and Congress were orchestrating a campaign to discredit India’s democratic institutions. “If the top leader of the party has two voter IDs, what can be expected from ordinary workers?” he added.
Patra also cited clarifications by both the ECI and the Patna District Magistrate, confirming that Tejashwi Yadav’s name remains intact on the latest draft rolls and that there was no discrepancy in his voter registration.
“He tried to mislead voters on the electoral roll published by the EC … He cried that his name was not there in the electoral roll, so could he take part in the elections in Bihar?… After that, the EC and Patna DM revealed the truth. They said that Tejashwi Yadav’s name and EPIC number are present, and his name has not been cut from the electoral roll published after the SIR,” he said.
“The EC further said that the EPIC number, which published his name in the electoral roll at serial number 416, is the same as the one he wrote in his nomination papers during the 2020 elections,” the BJP MP added.
He said, “Sarvochh neta ke hain two EPIC number to karyakarta ka haal kya hoga” (if the chief has two EPIC numbers, then what would be the condition of the party workers).
As the row continues, the ECI has asked Yadav to provide further details about the disputed EPIC number, signaling that the matter remains under scrutiny.