ECI rejects Tejashwi Yadav’s claim of missing name in Bihar Draft Roll

RJD’s Tejashwi Yadav alleges exclusion from Bihar’s draft voter list, questioning his poll eligibility. ECI counters, confirming his name at 416. Political storm brews as final list deadline nears, with accusations of technical error versus electoral sabotage ahead of assembly elections.

Patna: Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on August 2, 2025, made a big allegation and claimed that his name is not included in the draft voter list released by the Election Commission.

In a press conference held in Patna, Tejashwi said that he had applied during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in Bihar, but now his name is missing in the draft list. He raised the question, "If I am not a voter, how will I contest the upcoming assembly elections?"

Election Commission's reply: "Tejashwi's claim is wrong."

After Tejashwi's allegations, the Election Commission (ECI) gave a clarification saying that his name is recorded at number 416 in the draft voter list. The Commission termed Tejashwi's claim as "false and factually incorrect."

Despite this, Tejashwi showed that his name was not appearing in the list by entering the EPIC (voter identity card) number through the Election Commission's app on his mobile phone. He also showed video proof of this to the reporters and said that it is mandatory to have a name in the voter list to contest Bihar elections.

What is the whole matter?

Special revision (SIR) of the voter list is going on in Bihar, the final list of which will be released on September 1, 2025. The Election Commission has said that the list released now is a draft, and people can register their claims and objections from August 1 to September 1.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar had already assured that all voters will get a chance to get their names added to the list. If Tejashwi's name is really left out, then he has time to correct it.

Political meaning

This matter is also important because if a candidate's name is not in the voter list, he cannot contest the election. Tejashwi Yadav is a prominent leader in Bihar politics, and this controversy over his name could also be a part of the election strategy. RJD is accusing the commission of deliberately removing the name, while the ECI has denied it.

What will happen next?

It is not yet clear why Tejashwi's name is missing from the voter list—is it a technical glitch or a political ploy? Only after the final list is released in the next month will it be known whether Tejashwi Yadav will actually be able to contest the elections or not. This matter can create a new controversy in Bihar politics, especially before the elections.