RJD leader and former Deputy CM of Bihar, Tejashwi Yadav, is entangled in a controversy involving two alleged EPIC (Elector’s Photo Identity Card) numbers. The Election Commission has issued a notice to him regarding the matter. The commission has requested original copies of his voter ID cards, seeking a response from Yadav. The EPIC number displayed by Tejashwi Yadav during a press conference could not be found during the Election Commission’s preliminary investigation.
In India, possessing two voter ID cards is illegal, punishable under the Representation of the People Act, 1951. Conviction could result in a year’s imprisonment or a fine. The Election Commission is investigating the matter. If the case of two voter IDs is confirmed, it would be considered a serious electoral offense.
Tejashwi’s valid EPIC number is RAB0456228. However, there is no record of RAB2916120. Therefore, the Election Commission has sent a notice to Tejashwi, requesting the original copies of his voter ID cards. This issue has caused a stir in Bihar’s political landscape before the upcoming assembly elections. The controversy began when Tejashwi claimed his name was not on the draft voter list.
He shared EPIC number RAB2916120 during a press conference, which showed a ‘no record found’ message. The Election Commission then stated that his name was indeed on the draft voter list with EPIC number RAB0456228 (Patliputra area, polling station 204, serial number 416). The commission confirmed that Tejashwi had used this EPIC number in the 2015 and 2020 assembly elections.
The Election Commission believes that Tejashwi’s second EPIC number is not in the official records and may be fake. The commission has initiated an investigation and issued a notice to Tejashwi, seeking clarification regarding the RAB2916120 number. Tejashwi has called this a political conspiracy, claiming that his EPIC number was changed.
Following the revelation of two EPIC numbers, BJP-JDU leaders have been critical of Tejashwi. Bihar Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary and JDU leader Neeraj Kumar have called it a violation of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. BJP MP Sambit Patra questioned how Tejashwi could possess two EPIC numbers, accusing him of spreading confusion during the press conference. He further stated that having two voter ID cards is a serious crime and that the voter card he used in the 2020 elections is the same as the one he has now.
Under the first phase of SIR in Bihar, there are a total of 7.24 crore voters. 65 lakh names have been removed, including those of deceased, displaced, and foreign voters. According to the Election Commission, Bihar had 7.89 crore voters as of June 24, 2025. The SIR initiative began in Bihar on June 24, 2025, and the first phase concluded on July 26.
