In Response to Duplicate Voter ID Controversy, ECI to Address Issue Within Three Months
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Synopsis
The Election Commission of India has acknowledged the controversy regarding duplicate EPIC numbers and is set to resolve the issue within three months, ensuring unique identifiers for voters.
Key Takeaways
- ECI acknowledges duplicate EPIC issue.
- Resolution expected within three months.
- Duplicate numbers found among legitimate voters.
- Ongoing updates to electoral rolls are vital.
- West Bengal CM accuses BJP of electoral manipulation.
New Delhi, March 7 (NationPress) In light of the controversy surrounding duplicate Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers assigned to voters across various states, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced on Friday that it has acknowledged the issue and is committed to resolving it within the next three months.
“A preliminary investigation involving over 100 voters shows that those with duplicate EPIC numbers are indeed valid electors. Since the introduction of the EPIC series in 2000 to States/UTs, certain Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) have failed to utilize the correct numbering series,” stated the Election Commission in an official release.
The commission emphasized that “regardless of the EPIC number, any elector linked to the electoral roll of a specific polling station is authorized to vote only at that station.”
“The issue of duplicate number allocation due to incorrect series across States/UTs went unnoticed as each State/UT independently managed its electoral roll databases. The Commission has now decided to tackle this longstanding issue following extensive discussions among technical teams and relevant Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) within a three-month timeframe, ensuring a unique national EPIC number for existing voters with duplicates, as well as for future electors,” it added.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee recently accused the BJP of manipulating electoral rolls with the support of the ECI, claiming that individuals from Punjab, Haryana, and Gujarat were being registered as voters in West Bengal. She also instructed her party members to identify fraudulent voters within ten days.
The Election Commission noted that India’s electoral rolls represent the largest database of voters worldwide, containing over 990 million registered electors.
“In addition to the ongoing updates to the electoral rolls, the Election Commission carries out an Annual Special Summary Revision (SSR) exercise each year from October to December, followed by the publication of the final rolls in January,” it stated.
