BJP loses steam over SIR issue as Bihar Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha is voter in 2 districts

Patna: A day after the Election Commission issued notice to Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Vijay Kumar Sinha to explain how he was in possession of two EPICs (elector photo-identity cards) and how he was registered as voter in two districts – Patna and Lakhisarai, the Dy CM on Monday said he will reply to Election Commission notice as he "had full faith" in the poll panel.

“I have respect for all constitutional bodies including the EC. I will reply to the poll panel’s notice,” said Sinha, admitting that he was enrolled as a voter at booth number 405 of Bankipur Assembly constituency (182) in Patna Sahib where his EPIC number is AFS0853341. Besides, he has also been found to be a voter at Lakhisarai Assembly constituency (168) in Lakhisarai district where his EPIC number is IAF3939337.

“I have submitted a petition to the booth level officer (BLO) in Patna on August 5 to delete my name from the Bankipur constituency in Patna,” said Sinha, who has been elected as BJP legislator from Lakhisarai and intends to remain a voter there.

The EC, on Sunday, had asked the Bihar Deputy CM to explain by August 14 why and how his name was there in Patna as well as Lakhisarai and how he was in possession of two EPICs.

Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav, who is himself embroiled in EPIC controversy, said, “The EC acted against me very fast. But it should explain to the people that if 65 lakh duplicate voters' names were deleted in Bihar during the SIR exercise, why was Vijay Sinha’s name not removed? Either the entire SIR is a fraud exercise or the Deputy CM himself is a fraud.”

The former Deputy CM also highlighted that the present Dy CM was 57-year-old in Lakhisarai, while the same person was registered as a 60-year-old voter in Patna.

“The episode establishes the ‘vote-theft’ charge against the EC. We have always maintained that the entire SIR exercise is faulty and being carried at the behest of the BJP,” said Bihar Congress president Rajesh Ram.