ECI bows to TMC allegation, pledges to resolve EPIC ‘flaw’ in 3 months
Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Friday said that the Election Commission of India (ECI) finally “admitted and accepted” their guilt in connection with duplicate Electors Photo Identity Cards (EPIC) numbers, as the poll panel issued a second statement over the issue of duplication of voter ID card numbers announcing that it will “resolve the issue” in the next three months.
Trinamool Congress, however, on social media on Friday said that after offering “flimsy clarifications” the ECI finally admitted to manipulating the voter list. “Now, in a last-ditch attempt at damage control, they claim they will “fix the issue” in three months. The only reason this scam has been exposed is because Mamata Banerjee “called out the ECI’s and nailed them to the wall”.
After detailed discussions within its technical teams and consultations with Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) across the country, the ECI said that it is committed to ensuring that each elector has a unique national EPIC number.
“The Commission has now decided to resolve this long pending issue after detailed discussions within the technical teams and concerned CEOs in the next three months by ensuring a unique national EPIC number to the existing electors having a duplicate EPIC number and for future electors as well,” reads its statement.
Explaining the procedure related to the updation of electoral rolls, the EC said at every booth, political parties also have the right to appoint booth-level agents (BLAs) who have a right to verify the electoral roll of the concerned booth and raise a complaint for the anomaly, if any.
If any person has any objection, he has the option to file the first appeal to the district magistrate or district election officer under section 24(a) of the Representation of the People (RP) Act, 1950.
Incidentally, the ECI recently held a high-level meeting to discuss concerns about duplication of these numbers in the voter database after the Trinamool Congress had taken up a massive campaign against the duplicate EPIC cards.
Trinamool also raised questions as to how “incorrect series” relating to EPIC card numbers slipped through and what happened to the software meant to detect duplicate EPICs.
“If this manipulation has been happening since 2000, why was NOTHING done for 25 years? Why is ECI still silent on the number of duplicate voter IDs currently in circulation? The ECI has not just failed in its duty, it has become a willing accomplice in BJP’s electoral fraud.”
TMC Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale said in a post on X: “The ECI has finally admitted and accepted their guilt that duplicate EPIC numbers have been allotted to multiple people. All of this has happened because (West Bengal) CM Mamata Banerjee nailed the lies of the ECI & exposed this scam.”
He further stated: “After being in denial, ECI now says it will “fix the issue” in just 3 months. It has also given a very UNCONVINCING explanation that “this duplication of EPIC has happened since the year 2000 due to registration officers using incorrect alphanumeric series”.
After Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee’s instruction, her party leaders have started scrutinising electoral rolls in all the districts. Strengthening its attack against the ECI, Trinamool Congress earlier released a fresh set of what the party referred to as evidence of a “conspiracy” to deny the right to exercise the franchise of voters in opposition-ruled states.
Meanwhile, the TMC submitted notices in both Houses of the Parliament, demanding a discussion on this serious issue. TMC Rajya Sabha MP, Derek O’Brien confirmed that discussions are underway with other Opposition and non-NDA parties over the issue.
Trinamool had also alleged that the issue extends beyond Bengal, with instances of identical EPIC numbers found across states such as Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, mostly, BJP-ruled states.
