'Bihar DyCM has two EPIC cards', alleges Tejashwi; "I vote from only one place", replies Sinha

RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Sunday alleged that Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha has two voter ID cards and asked what action is 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 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, names of mine and my family members were listed in Bankipur assembly seat. In April 2024, I had applied to add my name from Lakhisarai. I also filled a form to remove my and my family members' 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. 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 and 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?" Yadav alleged. 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 holds 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, shared screenshots of the draft electoral rolls in which the DyCM has been shown as a voter in Lakhisarai, his assembly seat, as well as Bankipur in the capital city. PTI, however, could not independently verify the authenticity of the screenshots shared by Kumar. Kumar 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?".

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha has responded to Tejashwi Yadav's allegation on Sunday that that he holds two electors photo identity card (EPIC) numbers in different constituencies. "Our whole family had voter IDs from Bankipur. In April 2024, I applied to add my name to the Lakhisarai constituency and remove it from Bankipur. It did not happen immediately, so I called the BLO, filled the form, and took the receiving. I have all the documents. I vote from only one place last time too, it was in Lakhisarai," he said. Addressing a press conference here Vijay Sinha said that he had applied to add his name to Lakhirai in 2024 and remove it from Bankipur, Patna, but the deletion form was rejected. He said, "Earlier, my entire family's name was listed in Patna. In April 2024, I applied to add my name to the Lakhisarai Assembly. I also filled out a form to have my name removed from there. I have proof. For some reason, my name wasn't removed, so I called the BLO, submitted a written application, and took a receipt. I have both documents. My deletion form was rejected." Sinha added that he flagged the issue with the Election Commission after the poll body released the draft voter list, following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in the state. He said that the ECI has given a month correction window, and the final voter list has not been released yet. "One month is given for the correction. People questioning a Constitutional body do not have trust in the Constitution. They spread confusion and are a danger to democracy. Due to this correction window, I have given to the BLO in writing to remove my name. It would have been the Election Commission's mistake if it did not have a correction window. The final electoral roll has not been released. My name is under the process," he told reporters. The Deputy CM clarified that he votes from Lakhisarai only. "I vote from only one place. Last time too, I voted only from Lakhisarai, and this time as well, the form was filled from there," he said. Slamming Tejashwi Yadav, he said, "This is their jungle raj, BJP does not play such games. If there is a lack of something, we come forward to help rather than insulting a Constitutional body. Vijay Sinha neither does age fraud nor insults a Constitutional body." He further asked RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav to apologise. "It is sad that a person sitting on a constitutional post tarnishes politics with his language; this does not befit him. The complete facts should be known. The whole of Bihar and the country know that the way the prince of Jungle Raj plays the game of tarnishing others, he should apologise, and such false allegations should not be made at all... He should apologise," Vijay Sinha said. Earlier today, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav alleged that Vijay Kumar Sinha has two EPIC numbers, each with a different address and age. Addressing a press conference here, Yadav presented two different EPIC numbers, which he said belonged to Vijay Sinha. "We conducted research...You can call it a revelation or a fraud; that is up to you and the people of Bihar. This voter list, which has been uploaded after the SIR (Special Intensive Revision of the electoral roll), in which it is clearly visible that Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha has two EPIC numbers and his age is also different in both the places, so there is fraud in the voter card as well as in the age," he said. Yadav claimed that the two EPIC numbers belong to Lakhisarai and Bankipur, respectively. "He has voter cards from two places, one is from Lakhisarai and the other is from Bankipur assembly constituency. This is of the Bankipur Assembly seat, in which his age is 60 years, and you can see his age is 57 years in Lakhisarai in the draft voter list after the SIR. The public should know who is doing fraud. Lakhisarai Assembly EPIC No is IAF3939337 while Bankipur Assembly EPIC No is AFS0853341," the RJD leader said.