STIR OVER TWO EPIC CARDS IN BIHAR

STIR OVER TWO EPIC CARDS IN BIHAR

11-AUG-ENG 4

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

PATNA-----------------------Political stir has intensified over the voter list amendment before the upcoming assembly elections in Bihar. The opposition has attacked Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha, accusing him of having two different EPICs (Electoral Photo Identity Cards). After Congress, now RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav has also raised this issue loudly, while Sinha has given clarification and called it an administrative lapse.

The opposition alleges that the name of senior BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sinha is registered in the voter list of two constituencies—Lakhisarai (EPIC number: IAF3939337) and Bankipur (EPIC number: AFS0853341). Tejashwi Yadav said in a press conference in Patna that Sinha's age is also mentioned differently in both the cards (57 in one and 60 years in the other). He demanded action from the Election Commission and asked whether Sinha will get a notice or any action will be taken against him? Tejashwi termed it a 'big scam' and said that either the Election Commission is wrong or Sinha, and the matter will be taken to court.

Earlier, the Congress had tweeted and described the issue as a 'big fraud'. RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav also shared documents on Twitter and questioned Sinha's double voter registration, although the veracity of these documents could not be independently confirmed. The opposition has also raised questions on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, in which 'zero house number' of three lakh houses in Bihar has been registered.

Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sinha clarified in a conversation with the media that he votes only from Lakhisarai, not from Bankipur. He told that in April 2024, he had applied to remove his name from the voter list of Bankipur and add it to Lakhisarai, the receipt of which is with him. Sinha said that for some reason his name was not removed from Bankipur, due to which it is visible in the draft voter list. He approached the Booth Level Officer (BLO) and submitted a written application and has kept the documents safe.

Sinha hit back at Tejashwi Yadav, calling him the 'Prince of Jungle Raj' and alleged that he was misleading the public by doing false politics. He said that he and his family had voted from Lakhisarai in the last election, and Tejashwi should apologize for the false allegations.

The controversy is increasing tension between the NDA (BJP-JDU alliance) and the Grand Alliance (RJD-Congress and allies) ahead of the 2025 assembly elections in Bihar. Earlier, an EPIC card shown by Tejashwi Yadav was declared fake by the Election Commission, further complicating the controversy. The opposition has demanded Sinha's resignation, while there is no official statement from the Election Commission yet.