Tejashwi Yadav Slams EC Over 65 Lakh Voter Removals in Bihar, Raises 10 Questions, Urges SC to Intervene

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has raised serious concerns with the Election Commission after over 65 lakh names were allegedly removed from the draft voter list in Bihar. He also questioned the classification of 36 lakh voters as "transferred" and demanded transparency. Tejashwi sought point-by-point answers from the Election Commission and asked for an extension of the deadline to raise objections to the draft list.

Tejashwi posted a series of questions on his social media and requested clear responses from the Election Commission. He asked whether the Commission would respond in a similarly detailed manner. He also raised concerns about how 36 lakh poor voters’ names could be cut when Bihar sends about 3 crore registered migrant workers outside the state annually.

The 10 Questions Raised by Tejashwi Yadav:

1. What is the basis for declaring 65 lakh voters as dead, transferred, or absent?
2. What is the basis for classifying 36 lakh voters as "transferred"?
3. Was any physical verification conducted for these voters?
4. As per the rules, did the BLOs visit voters' homes three times for verification?
5. After verification, did BLOs issue acknowledgment slips or receipts to the voters?
6. What percentage of voters across Bihar were given acknowledgment slips?
7. Were the voters given any notice or intimation before their names were removed?
8. Were the 65 lakh removed voters given a chance to appeal?
9. How many deletion forms were submitted without any attached documents?
10. How many of these forms were submitted without a photograph?

Tejashwi’s 4 Demands to the EC

Tejashwi Yadav urged the Election Commission to immediately release a booth-wise list, with reasons, of all voters whose names have been omitted from the draft list. He also demanded public disclosure of the constituency and booth-wise data on deceased, shifted, repeated, and untraceable voters. The RJD leader insisted that the last date to raise objections against the draft voter list should be extended until full transparency is ensured. Currently, only a 7-day window has been provided.

Tejashwi Appeals to Supreme Court for Intervention

Tejashwi has appealed to the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognizance of the issue and demand a detailed explanation from the Election Commission. He emphasized that every voter’s presence and rights are fundamental to democracy. If names are being removed without explanation, it is a serious issue and a direct attack on the democratic right to vote. He said SIR 2025 is turning into an unconstitutional exercise, which not only discourages voters but also raises questions on the fairness of the elections.

EC Responds to Tejashwi’s Allegations

In response, Election Commission sources stated that a clean and updated voter list is the foundation of any democracy. Under the SIR campaign, the period for claims and objections is one month—from August 1 to September 1. The EC advised Tejashwi to use his party’s 47,506 voter ID agents (BLAs) to raise any valid objections or claims regarding omissions or wrongful inclusions.

No Case Submitted to BLO by Any Party in 24 Hours

Election Commission sources also said that none of the voter ID agents (BLAs) from any political party, including RJD, had submitted any objection to BLOs in the past 24 hours. All BLAs had received booth-wise draft lists on August 1 and agreed to examine them thoroughly. The EC expressed confusion over the continuous allegations being made despite no formal complaints being filed.