EC: Duplicate voter I-card numbers issue to be addressed in 3 months
NEW DELHI: Amid allegations of a cover-up over duplicate voter identity card numbers, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday sought to defuse the controversy by assuring that it will address the “decades-long” matter in the next three months.
The Trinamool Congress (TMC) flagged the issue of duplicate voter identity card numbers in different states and accused the Election Commission of a cover-up.
TMC MP Saket Gokhale said the Election Commission has finally admitted and accepted their guilt that duplicate Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers have been allotted to multiple people. “This is a scam and answers must be given,” he posted on X.
In a statement, the poll body said India’s electoral rolls are the biggest database of electors across the globe with over 99 crore registered voters.
“As regards the issue of duplicate Electoral Photo Identity Card numbers, the Commission has already taken cognisance of the matter. Irrespective of an EPIC number, an elector who is linked to the electoral roll of a particular polling station can cast his vote at that polling station only and nowhere else,” it asserted.
The EC said it has now decided to resolve this “long-pending issue” after detailed discussions within the technical teams and concerned state chief electoral officers in the next three months by ensuring a “unique national EPIC number” to the existing electors having a duplicate EPIC number. The new system will be applicable for future electors as well, it added.
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.
If the person is not satisfied with the decision of the first appellate authority, a second appeal to the Chief Electoral Officer of the concerned state or Union Territory (UT) under section 24(b) of the RP Act can be filed.
Data shared by the poll authority showed that across the country, 89 first-level appeals and one second-level appeal were made in Maharashtra and no other state. EC functionaries pointed out that no appeals were filed in West Bengal.
With the issue of duplicate EPIC numbers whipping up a political storm and opposition parties alleging that electoral integrity has been compromised, the TMC on Friday said it would raise the matter during the second half of the Budget Session which resumes on Monday.
TMC has already submitted notices in both Houses on Friday, demanding a discussion on this serious issue. Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien has confirmed that discussions are underway with other opposition and non-NDA parties to collectively corner the ruling dispensation on this matter. The party alleged that duplicate EPIC numbers have led to the manipulation of voter lists, potentially disenfranchising opposition supporters and marginalised communities. Such concerns have historically led to mass protests, particularly when large-scale deletions of voter IDs have been reported.
One of TMC’s primary accusations is that the issue extends beyond West Bengal, with instances of identical EPIC numbers found across states such as Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh, mostly BJP-led states. A specific case cited by TMC involved an EPIC number, ‘XYZ0997544,’ reportedly assigned to voters in both Murshidabad, West Bengal, and Hisar, Haryana.
In response, the ECI admitted that some EPIC numbers may be duplicated due to the previously decentralised and manual system in place before 2017. However, the ECI reassured that this does not indicate the existence of fake voters, as each elector is only permitted to vote at their designated polling station.
The controversy has deepened with the Centre’s push to link voter IDs with Aadhaar, triggering allegations of voter disenfranchisement, particularly among marginalised communities. Critics argue that errors in Aadhaar-voter ID linkage may lead to the selective removal of opposition voters, raising concerns about potential surveillance and misuse of voter data.
Similar allegations have surfaced in states like Telangana, Karnataka, and West Bengal, where targeted voter deletions were reported before elections. In Assam, the linkage of EPIC numbers to the National Register of Citizens (NRC) has also led to political unrest.
