Ahead of the 2025 Assembly elections in Bihar, a political controversy has erupted concerning the state’s voter registration. Concerns have been raised about the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) Electoral Roll, with reports of deceased individuals listed and eligible voters omitted. A key figure, Tejashwi Yadav, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate and son of party leader Lalu Prasad Yadav, claims his name is missing from the draft voter list despite submitting the necessary enumeration form during the special revision. This has prompted a strong reaction from the Janata Dal (United), who accuse Yadav of misleading the public. Yadav, speaking at a press conference, stated he filled out the form, yet his name is not in the electoral roll, questioning how he would contest the elections. The Patna district administration clarified that Yadav’s name is present, but his polling station and serial number have changed. Yadav responded by questioning the scale of such changes, suggesting a conspiracy to remove names from the voter list. The Election Commission refuted Yadav’s claim, stating his name is listed in the draft electoral roll. JDU spokesperson Neeraj Kumar called Yadav a ‘political fraud’. With a minority of applicants submitting the necessary documents, Bihar’s draft electoral roll was released on Friday.
