RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has accused Bihar's Deputy Chief Minister, Vijay Kumar Sinha, of possessing two separate voter ID cards, or Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPIC). Addressing reporters, Yadav alleged that Sinha is registered as a voter in two different assembly constituencies in two different districts—specifically, the Lakhisarai assembly constituency and the Bankipur assembly constituency in Patna district.
Yadav questioned the integrity of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls recently conducted by the Election Commission, suggesting that it failed to identify and correct this discrepancy. He asked who should be held responsible for the alleged duplication and demanded to know what action would be taken against Sinha. "What action is being taken against Sinha? When will he (Sinha) resign from the post after the revelations?" Yadav pressed.
In response, Deputy Chief Minister Sinha told reporters that he and his family members were previously listed in the Bankipur assembly constituency. He confirmed that he applied to be added to the Lakhisarai voter list in April 2024 and, at the same time, submitted a form to have his name and his family's names removed from the Bankipur list.
Sinha stated he has documents proving he took these steps. He claimed that for an unknown reason, his name was not removed from the Bankipur list and appeared in the draft electoral roll. Sinha says he has since submitted a written application with the Booth Level Officer to rectify this and has a receipt for it.
Sinha also denied voting from two places, stating, "I vote from only one place. Last time too, I voted from only one place." He accused Tejashwi Yadav of attempting to mislead the public with false facts and called for an apology.
Also Read: Over 6.6 cr Bihar voters file forms before SIR deadline
Yadav further detailed his allegations, citing specific EPIC ID numbers: IAF3939337 for the Lakhisarai constituency and AFS0853341 for the Bankipur constituency. He also pointed to a discrepancy in Sinha's age, with one list showing him as 57-year-old and the other as 60, calling it 'fraud and an age scam'.
He suggested that Sinha must have deliberately filled out two different forms or that the Election Commission issued the duplicate cards based on forged signatures. Yadav raised concerns about whether the rules of the Election Commission, such as receiving a notice before deletion, apply only to opposition leaders.
This controversy arises amidst a broader political climate where the Election Commission recently asked Tejashwi Yadav himself to respond to similar allegations of holding two EPIC numbers. Yadav, in his response, criticised the EC, stating, "Whose lapse is it if two EPIC numbers were issued to me? Galti khud karen aur explanation hamse mangege (They make the mistake themselves and are seeking an explanation from me)."
The Bihar Congress chief, Rajesh Kumar, also weighed in on the issue, sharing screenshots on X (formerly Twitter) that purported to show Sinha as a voter in both constituencies. While Kumar's post was shared with questions about whether Sinha had been casting votes from two places, news agencies has not independently verified the authenticity of the shared screenshots.
Also Read: No Bihar voter will be removed without notice, poll body tells SC
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