'Who is responsible for 2-voter card blunder, Bihar Deputy CM himself or EC?': Tejashwi Yadav

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday alleged that Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha had two voter ID cards and asked what action was being taken against Sinha.

Yadav, talking to reporters here, said, "Vijay Kumar Sinha is a voter from two different assembly constituencies in two different districts. His name is there in the Lakhisarai assembly constituency in the same district and also in Bankipur assembly constituency in Patna district.

"He has two different Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) cards. Surprisingly, it has happened after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) by the Election Commission in Bihar. Who should be held responsible, either Sinha himself or the Election Commission? What action is being taken against Sinha? When will he (Sinha) resign from the post after the revelations?"

Reacting to Yadav's allegations, Sinha told reporters on Sunday, "Earlier, my name and those of my family members were listed under Bankipur Assembly seat. In April 2024, I had applied to add my name from Lakhisarai. I also filled a form to remove our names from Bankipur. I have evidence. For some reason, my name was not removed from Bankipur and it appeared in the draft electoral roll. I called the Booth Level Officer and submitted a written application and took a receipt seeking deletion of my name from Bankpur. I have both documents." Sinha said that he has voted from only one place.

"I vote from only one place. Last time too, I voted from only one place. The prince of Jungle-Raj (Tejashwi) is simply trying to mislead people by giving wrong facts. The entire Bihar knows that he (Tejashwi) plays the game of tarnishing the image of others. He should apologise for making false allegations against me," Sinha said.

The Leader of Opposition in Bihar Assembly said Sinha's EPIC ID number in the Lakhisarai assembly constituency is IAF3939337, and in the Bankipur assembly constituency in Patna district, his ID number is AFS0853341.

"While Sinha's age is 57 years in one list, it is 60 years in another. Is this not fraud and an age scam? He must have filled two different forms in two different assembly constituencies. He deliberately got two votes registered in two different places. If he did not personally sign both forms, then did the Election Commission create two different votes for him in two different assembly constituencies based on forged signatures? Will he receive two different notices, or are these rules only for the opposition leaders?" he questioned.

Commenting on the EC asking him to respond to allegations that he holds two EPIC numbers, the RJD leader said, "I have replied to the EC… why should I need to give an explanation for this? He accused the EC of attempting to pin on him a mistake committed by its own officials."

Recently, the EC had asked Yadav to respond to allegations that he held two EPIC numbers. "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)."

Bihar Congress chief Rajesh Kumar in a post on X on Saturday had shared screenshots of the draft electoral rolls in which the Dy CM has been shown as a voter in Lakhisarai, his assembly seat, as well as Bankipur in the capital city.

The authenticity of the screenshots shared by Kumar could not not be verified.

Kumar had asked, "Had Sinha been casting his vote from two places? How did he file his enumeration forms from more than one place? Would there be an FIR against him for this fraud?"