'EPIC' faux pas takes wind out of Tejashwi's sails amid Bihar's electoral roll revision saga

Patna: The faux pas committed by Leader of the Opposition in Bihar, Tejashwi Yadav, on the issue of “missing name” from the voters’ list and ending up with “possessing two EPICs” has taken its first toll in the poll-bound State. A joint rally of Tejashwi and Rahul Gandhi, organised by the RJD and the Congress, has been postponed due to “unavoidable reasons.”

The much-publicised ‘Vote Adhikaar Yatra’ was originally scheduled to kickstart from August 10 in Sasaram in western Bihar and end up at Araria in eastern part on August 19. The purpose behind the yatra was to launch a protest against the ongoing SIR (Special Intensive Revision) exercise in Bihar and tell the voters that Congress and the RJD were championing the cause of voters and putting the Election Commission in the dock over questionable deletion of names of 65 lakh voters in the month-long SIR drive.

Though unofficially, it has been said that the yatra has been deferred due to death of JMM leader Shibu Soren where the top Opposition leaders have to attend the last rites, the fact remains that the faux pas committed by Tejashwi Yadav on claiming that “my name is missing from the voters list” and ending up with “possessing two EPICs” has taken the wind out of Tejashwi’s sails.

Nailed by Election Commission?

Tejashwi, who is also the chairman of the coordination committee of the Opposition in Bihar, is also the undeclared CM face of the I.N.D.I.A. bloc in the state. But ever since the Election Commission called his bluff and pointed out that he was indeed a voter in Patna and the EPIC he was quoting was never issued by the EC, the embarrassing episode has dented Tejashwi’s well-crafted image with many even questioning his ability to run a difficult state like Bihar.

Notably, the EC, which bore the maximum brunt from Tejashwi on the issue of SIR, was quick to correct Tejashwi when he quoted another EPIC to claim that “when my name is missing from the voters’ list, imagine the plight of common voters.”

“In your press conference on August 2, 2025, you mentioned that your name was not there in the voters’ list. You quoted your EPIC number RAB2916120 to buttress your point in the press conference. However, after inquiry, it was found that EPIC number RAB2916120 was never issued by the Election Commission. After a probe, following your allegation of missing name, it was found that your EPIC number is RAB0456228 and your name is mentioned on serial number 416 of polling station number 204 (Library Building of Bihar Animal Science University) in Patna,” said the EC.

This clarification by the EC was a huge blow to Tejashwi who has been putting up a tough fight against the Nitish-led NDA government in Bihar.

“I will respond to the EC charges. But the EC should also clarify how and why lakhs of names have been deleted,” said Tejashwi here on Tuesday, before leaving for Ranchi to participate in Shibu Soren’s last rites.