Trinamool Congress Takes Steps to Address ECI's Comments on EPIC Number Duplication
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Synopsis
In the wake of the Election Commission of India's statement, the Trinamool Congress moves to address concerns over EPIC number duplications, following allegations by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee regarding voter irregularities. The party is committed to a thorough review of the voter list.
Key Takeaways
- Trinamool Congress addressing ECI's statement.
- Mamata Banerjee's allegations of EPIC number duplication.
- ECI clarifies no fake voters indicated by duplicate EPICs.
- Kunal Ghosh asserts ongoing scrutiny of voter lists.
- Party leadership emphasizes trust issues with ECI statements.
Kolkata, March 2 (NationPress) The Trinamool Congress is actively working to manage the fallout from a statement released by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday, which indirectly countered the claims made by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee last week regarding voters from two different states possessing the same EPIC numbers.
During an extended organizational meeting of the Trinamool Congress the previous week, the Chief Minister accused the BJP of including voters from other states in West Bengal's electoral list, citing instances of electors from two different states with matching EPIC numbers.
In its statement on Sunday, the ECI clarified that the presence of duplicate EPIC numbers does not equate to the existence of duplicate or fraudulent voters. The commission explained that some duplicate cases arise from identical alphanumeric series used by different states or Union Territories.
In response to the ECI's remarks, Kunal Ghosh, the state general secretary of the Trinamool Congress, has stepped forward to mitigate any damage caused. Ghosh released a counter-statement suggesting that the ECI’s comments inadvertently validate Mamata Banerjee's claims regarding the duplication of EPIC numbers.
According to Ghosh, after the Trinamool Congress exposed the alleged conspiracy, the ECI is now scrambling to manage the situation. He stated, “The issue of identical voters’ names in multiple states has been acknowledged. However, how this situation arose remains unresolved. With the truth coming to light, the commission has indicated they will take action, but we cannot place our trust in their assurances. Following our party leader’s directives, we will continue our thorough scrutiny of the voter list on a booth-wise and address-wise basis.”
He further emphasized that any news regarding the ECI in the media should not lead to complacency, and therefore, the scrutiny will persist as instructed by the leadership.
