Tejashwi Yadav's Name Missing From Bihar Voter List, Says 'Ab Chunav Kaise Ladunga,' ECI in Dock ?

Tejashwi Yadav, a senior RJD leader, has sparked a political row by stating that his name has not been included in the draft voter list of Bihar. The list, which was published by the Election Commission of India (ECI), came after a "Special Intensive Revision" (SIR). In a press conference, Yadav expressed his apprehension, saying, "How will I contest the next assembly elections?"

वोटर लिस्ट से कटा आरजेडी नेता तेजस्वी यादव का नाम

◆ तेजस्वी ने प्रेस कॉन्फ्रेंस में दी जानकारी

◆ कहा-"मेरा नाम नहीं, अब चुनाव कैसे लडूंगा"@yadavtejashwi #RJD | RJD Leader Tejashwi Yadav pic.twitter.com/kYVKys5Q7U

— News24 (@news24tvchannel) August 2, 2025

The Political and Legal Battle

This has raised the political standoff between the opposition Mahagathbandhan and the ECI to a whole new level. The opposition has already accused the SIR of being a ploy to disenfranchise citizens, particularly those from marginalized sections. Yadav has been persistently critical of the ECI process for lacking transparency and neutrality. He has argued that more than 65 lakh names have been dropped, without any public record of their information, so it is difficult to verify them. The Supreme Court has also issued a warning, saying it would step in if it found proof of "mass exclusion."

Response of ECI and the Way Ahead

The ECI has come to the defense of SIR, citing it's a regular exercise to keep the electoral roll up-to-date by weeding out duplicate or dead voters. The commission has made it clear that this is the draft list and not the final one. One month is given to the citizens and political parties to raise objections and claims, which Yadav can rectify. The RJD leader and other members of the INDIA bloc have also announced a state-wide yatra to raise awareness about the alleged anomalies among the voters. The exercise has put the ECI in the eye of the storm, reflecting the political suspicions surrounding the update of the voter list for the key Bihar assembly polls

Future Steps and Political Consequences

The controversy has placed the ECI in the limelight and underscored the heightened political distrust associated with the updation of voter rolls before the key Bihar assembly polls. The RJD president, along with other allies of the INDIA bloc, intends to organize a state-level yatra to create public awareness regarding the alleged discrepancies in the voter list. Yadav has also said that boycotting the polls is a possibility and that he will speak to his allies about it. The BJP, however, has charged the opposition with making unfounded accusations as a vote of no-confidence and has claimed that the revision is a means of introducing transparency and accuracy into the electoral rolls. The judicial and political fight is not yet over, and the focus now shifts to the claims and objections phase and the next hearing before the Supreme Court