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Last Updated:<\/span>August 04, 2025, 13:55 IST<\/time><\/p>\nThe controversy began when Tejashwi Yadav said during a press conference that an online search using his EPIC number showed no match in the updated voter list<\/h2>\nRJD leaders alleged that Tejashwi’s name was deleted without notice or justification, calling it a “conspiracy”. (Credits: X)<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n
A political storm is brewing in Bihar after Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav claimed that his name had been removed from the voter list in what he described as a deliberate attempt to block him from contesting the next election. But behind the political noise lies a legal and procedural question: what happens if a leader\u2019s name is missing from the voter list? Can they still contest elections?<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what the law says, and how similar cases have played out in the past.<\/p>\n
Does A Missing Name Mean Disqualification?<\/h2>\n According to the Representation of the People Act, 1951, it is not mandatory for a candidate to be registered in the same constituency they wish to contest from. What is essential is that their name figures in the electoral roll of any constituency across the country.<\/p>\n
So if Tejashwi Yadav\u2019s name has been deleted from Patna\u2019s Pataliputra constituency, but he is still registered as a voter in another constituency (say, Darbhanga or Gopalganj) he remains eligible to contest elections.<\/p>\n
However, if his name has been deleted from all electoral rolls, and he is not registered as a voter anywhere in the country, he cannot contest any election, assembly or parliamentary, until he gets re-enrolled.<\/p>\n
What Does The Law Require?<\/h2>\n For assembly elections, a candidate must be:<\/p>\n
\nAn Indian citizen<\/li>\n At least 25 years of age<\/li>\n A registered voter in any constituency in India<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nFor Lok Sabha elections, the age limit is 25; for Rajya Sabha, it is 30. The voter registration condition remains the same.<\/p>\n
Has This Happened Before?<\/h2>\n It\u2019s fairly common for leaders to contest elections from constituencies where they aren\u2019t registered voters. In 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi contested the Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi, despite being a voter from Gujarat. Sushma Swaraj contested from Madhya Pradesh even though she was on the rolls in Haryana. Arvind Kejriwal, Rajnath Singh, and Manish Tewari have also contested from outside their home constituencies.<\/p>\n
In all these cases, their eligibility stood firm because they were enrolled as voters somewhere in the country.<\/p>\n
Why Are Names Removed From The Voter List?<\/h2>\n The Election Commission routinely updates electoral rolls. During the recent Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar, over 65 lakh names were deleted for several reasons:<\/p>\n
\nChange of residence<\/li>\n Duplicate entries<\/li>\n Mistakenly declared deceased<\/li>\n<\/ul>\nIf someone\u2019s name has been wrongly removed, they can apply for restoration by submitting Form-6 along with valid documents.<\/p>\n
Can Tejashwi Yadav Contest Elections?<\/h2>\n As of now, yes, if he is registered elsewhere. Unless it\u2019s proven that his name has been deleted from every voter list in India, the removal from Pataliputra does not legally stop him from filing his nomination from any seat.<\/p>\n
Bihar Political Row<\/h2>\n The controversy began when Tejashwi Yadav said during a press conference that an online search using his EPIC number showed no match in the updated voter list. He accused officials of changing his voter ID number and deleting his entry.<\/p>\n
RJD leaders alleged that Tejashwi\u2019s name was deleted without notice or justification, calling it a conspiracy, \u201cTejashwi ji\u2019s name is missing from the voter list! Name being removed from the voter list means Tejashwi ji cannot contest elections! On the instructions of two Gujaratis, Kechua refused to accept Bihar\u2019s son coming from a backward community as a \u2018citizen\u2019! This is the real \u2018purification\u2019 of the voter list,” RJD spokesperson Priyanka Bharti posted on X (formerly Twitter).<\/p>\n
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