PATNA, Aug. 9 -- Leader of the opposition Tejashwi Prasad Yadav on Friday was served a third notice to submit one of his EPIC cards to the SDO , Patna Sadar-cum-electoral registration officer, Digha by August 16 on the ground that the said voter ID card had been purportedly found to be 'fake' during course of inquiry by the Patna district administration over the past few days, The notice issued by the SDO, Patna Sadar to Yadav Friday has mentioned that the EPIC (Electors Photo Identification Card) number ( RAB2916120) in possession of the RJD leader as displayed during course of a press conference on August 2 had not been issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI) based on the scrutiny of the data base of voters' list of last many years. Earlier, the ECI had clarified that Yadav's name figured in the draft updated electoral rolls published on August 1, 2025 at a booth located in the library building of Bihar Animal Science University, Patna with EPIC number RAB0456228. The SDO's letter to Tejashwi states that 'from the above facts it appears the EPIC card displayed by you ( read Yadav) at the press conference is fake. Making a fake government document or using it is an offence. So, it is urged to you that the EPIC card of yours purportedly fake be submitted to the office of electoral registration officer by 5 pm till August 16'. The third notice by the SDO to Tejashwi comes just a day after the 35-yr old former deputy CM had made a statement that he was not at fault for having dual EPIC cards in his possession and he was erroneously being asked to explain for possessing twin cards when in reality, the authorities concerned for issuing EPIC cards should be held accountable. "If I have got two cards , who issued them? If they have made a mistake, it is they who should explain. Instead, they are asking me to explain. I will reply to the notice but they will have no answers," Yadav had said, obliquely attacking the ECI. In the SDO's Friday letter, it has been mentioned that Tejashwi had put EPIC number- RAB0456228 in his nomination form to contest the 2015 and 2020 assembly polls . The same EPIC number was put in the enumeration form ( EF) submitted to the BLO by Yadav during the first phase of SIR. In the last few days, Yadav has been issued a notice by the SDO, Patna Sadar over possessing two EPIC cards twice and so far, the leader has not replied to the notices. The controversy over Yadav's dual cards started on August 2 when in course of a presser at his official 1 Polo Road residence, he put one of his EPIC card numbers (RAB2916120) to search his name and claimed his name was not figuring in the draft updated electoral rolls as per Special Intensive Revision. "Now look! I am not registered as a voter. This disqualifies me from contesting elections. Perhaps, I cease to be treated as a citizen and stand deprived of the right to live in this house," Yadav had said, which had hit big headlines. The Patna administration soon clarified Tejashwi's name figured at a booth in Bihar Animal Science University, Patna bearing serial number 416 with EPIC number - RAB0456228. The ECI too had refuted the claims of the opposition leader soon by putting details of Yadav's name registered in the updated draft electoral rolls as on August 1,2025. RJD state spokesperson and senior leader Chittaranjan Gagan said Yadav would be giving reply to the notices served to him in next few days after he returned from New Delhi tentatively on August 10. "We will give the reply to the notice served to the opposition leader. But the question is who has issued them? It is the issuing authority which should explain how such cards are issued. Besides, the draft electoral rolls where Tejashwi's name is registered has many discrepancies like he has been enlisted in a house with many other voters at the same booth. How can it be possible?," Gagan said. Three poll observers from ECI are on a visit to Bihar for last few days to check the updated draft electoral rolls as per SIR and also holding discussions with representatives of political parties regarding any complaints pertaining to SIR and draft rolls. The poll observers have been assigned three divisions each out of total nine divisions. The observers include Bharat Khera, IAS (touring three divisions, Purnea Bhagalpur and Munger) , Aradhana Patnaik,IAS (assigned Kosi, Darbhanga and Tirhut) and Nazmul Hoda, IPS (assigned Patna, Magadh and Saran dvisions). "The poll observers are touring various districts in their respective assigned divisions to check the draft electoral rolls and also holding meetings with representatives of various political parties," said an election officer. Besides, sources in the state election department said on Thursday that all booth-level officers ( BLOs) of 90,712 polling stations across Bihar interacted with the over 1.5 lakh booth-level agents of recognised political parties to share details of electors deleted from the draft electoral rolls on account of death, permanently shifted or having names at multiple places. The BLOs and state election officials have also provided the draft voters list as per SIR to representatives of all political parties in the last few days with videos being uploaded in the official site of ECI, officials said....