As Bihar gears up for the 2025 Assembly elections, controversies surrounding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll have surfaced. Concerns were raised regarding discrepancies, including the potential inclusion of deceased individuals and the omission of living citizens. In a recent development, Tejashwi Yadav, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) CM candidate and son of party leader Lalu Prasad Yadav, claimed his name was missing from the draft voter list. He stated he had completed the enumeration form during the special revision. Janata Dal (United) (JDU) responded by accusing Yadav of misleading the public. Yadav addressed a press conference, stating his name was absent from the electoral roll, raising questions about his eligibility to contest the elections. He also alleged issues with his EPIC number, which is the Elector’s Photo Identification Card. The Patna district administration clarified that Yadav’s name is registered, though his polling station and serial number had been altered. Yadav questioned the number of individuals affected by similar changes, alleging a conspiracy. JDU spokesperson Neeraj Kumar labeled Yadav as a ‘political fraud.’ The Election Commission (ECI) refuted Yadav’s claim, confirming his name is present in the draft electoral roll. The ongoing situation adds to the already tense political climate in Bihar, particularly with the elections approaching. With only a fraction of eligible applicants submitting required documents, the draft electoral roll for Bihar was released.
