Oppn demands discussion in Parliament on alleged discrepancies in voter lists
NEW DELHI: On the opening day of the second part of the Budget session of Parliament on Monday, Opposition parties led by the Congress demanded a detailed discussion in Parliament on the doubts that have arisen on the integrity of the electoral process after alleged discrepancies in voter lists.
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi raised the issue in the Lok Sabha while speaking during Zero Hour. The Congress leader said that the voter lists “are being questioned across the country” and the entire opposition has been demanding a discussion on the matter.
While the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has been at the forefront of raising this concern, Rahul Gandhi emphasised the urgency of the issue, stating that similar concerns had been raised across multiple states and warranted immediate discussion in the House.
“Questions have been raised by the opposition in one voice in every state, including Maharashtra,” he said.
The Samajwadi Party, Aam Aadmi Party and the RJD also said that it is an extremely serious matter and Parliament needs to take it up.
Congress president and the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge sought to raise the issue during Zero Hour but was not allowed, after which the opposition walked out in protest.
“The abrupt and unwarranted deletion of voters, the presence of duplicate EPIC numbers, and other such crucial issues affecting the integrity of our electoral process require urgent attention and discussion in Parliament,” Kharge said in a post on X.
“Given the serious threat these large-scale irregularities pose to the free and fair conduct of elections in our country, it is imperative for the Modi government to allow a comprehensive discussion on the matter in Parliament,” he also said.
The opposition MPs raised slogans after Rajya Sabha deputy chairman of the House, Harivansh, said a dozen notices under Rule 267, which calls for setting aside the business of the day to take up discussions on urgent matters, have been rejected.
Citing the rejection, Harivansh did not allow Kharge to make his submission.
Highlighting the issue of alleged “faulty” voter lists in the Lok Sabha, Trinamool Congress member Kalyan Banerjee demanded action against the Election Commission and said that the poll body had “failed” to conduct fair and transparent elections over the past few years.
Speaking during Zero Hour, he said West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had first flagged the issue of numerous instances of “duplicate” voter cards and the explanation given by the Election Commission was a clear breach of the Conduct of Election Rules itself.
The “faulty” voter lists were a matter of serious concern and amounted to a breach of Rule 20 of the Conduct of Elections Rule, the TMC member said.
“The Election Commission, all the time, says they have conducted transparent and fair elections. It is clear that there have been no transparent elections for the last few years. There was no fair election for the last few years, not at all,” he said.
“The Election Commission has not done a proper act and appropriate proceedings should be brought against the Election Commission for this reason,” the Trinamool Congress leader said.
Trinamool Congress member Saugata Roy demanded a thorough revision of the voter lists, particularly ahead of the assembly elections in West Bengal and Assam scheduled next year.
“There are some serious flaws. This has been pointed out with respect to Maharashtra, which had inflated voter lists. This was pointed out in Haryana. They are now trying to jump into West Bengal and Assam where elections are due next year,” Roy claimed.
“Let the total voter lists be thoroughly revised. The Election Commission should answer to the country why some mistakes occurred in the lists,” the Trinamool leader said.
The Trinamool Congress has been raising the issue of duplicate Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers, following which the Election Commission declared that it would take corrective measures within the next three months.
The Election Commission had rejected the Trinamool Congress claim that the voter lists were manipulated to allow voters from other states to exercise their franchise in West Bengal.
The poll body also made it clear that while the EPIC numbers of some voters “may be identical”, other details such as demographic information, Assembly constituency and polling booth are different. The Congress chief, in his post, said his party has already raised the issue of the “sudden surge of lakhs of voters in Maharashtra in just six months” between the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh demanded that the government and the Election Commission must come clear on the issue.
“Duplicate EPIC numbers are being issued. Fake voters are being made in West Bengal. In Delhi (assembly) polls, people from Haryana were made voters and they cast their votes,” he alleged.
RJD Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha accused the government of “covering up” the issue of “duplicate” voter cards.
In a bid to press their demands further, a 10-member delegation of the TMC is scheduled to meet the newly appointed CEC Gyanesh Kumar on Tuesday.
Even after the EC’s assurance that the issue will be resolved within three months, opposition parties remain sceptical, questioning the transparency of the process and demanding clarity on how many duplicate numbers have been removed so far.
For the TMC, the concern over EPIC card discrepancies has become a major political issue. The party has mobilised its workers across West Bengal to conduct on-ground verification of voter lists to ensure that eligible voters are not disenfranchised due to administrative lapses. The verification drive has revealed several inconsistencies, raising fears that such errors could compromise the democratic process. With opposition parties rallying together on this issue, the matter is expected to remain a significant point of contention in Parliament in the coming days.
With Agency Inputs
