The Election Commission of India (ECI) has strongly dismissed allegations of electoral roll manipulation, emphasizing that duplicate Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers do not indicate “fake or duplicate voters.” The clarification comes amid concerns raised on social media and by opposition leaders regarding instances of identical EPIC numbers assigned to voters across different states.
In a statement on Sunday, the poll body explained that the duplication of EPIC numbers likely resulted from the past use of state-based alphanumeric series before the implementation of a centralized system. "The Election Commission has taken cognizance of certain social media posts and media reports flagging the issue of electors of different states having identical EPIC numbers. In this regard, it is clarified that while EPIC numbers of some of the electors may be identical, the other details, including demographic details, Assembly Constituency, and polling booth, are different for the electors with the same EPIC number," the ECI stated.
The Commission further stressed that the EPIC number alone does not determine a voter's eligibility to cast a ballot. "Irrespective of the EPIC number, any elector can cast a vote only at their designated polling station in their respective constituency in their State/UT where they are enrolled in the electoral roll and nowhere else," the statement added, making it clear that duplication in numbers does not impact the actual voting process.
The issue, according to the ECI, stems from an older, decentralized system where different State/UT CEO offices generated similar EPIC numbers, inadvertently leading to duplication across constituencies in different states. This has now been identified as a legacy issue from before the adoption of a centralized voter registration system.
To address concerns and prevent further confusion, the Commission has decided to implement measures ensuring that all voters are assigned unique EPIC numbers. Additionally, the ERONET 2.0 platform will be upgraded to streamline the process and eliminate existing duplications. "Any case of duplicate EPIC number will be rectified by allotting a unique EPIC number. The ERONET 2.0 platform will be updated to aid and assist in this process," the ECI assured, reaffirming its commitment to maintaining the integrity of electoral rolls.
The clarification comes at a time when opposition parties have raised serious allegations against the ruling government, accusing it of tampering with voter rolls. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi recently claimed that additional voters were added to Maharashtra’s electoral rolls ahead of the upcoming assembly elections, allegedly to influence the outcome. Similarly, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that names of voters from Haryana and Gujarat were illegally inserted into Bengal’s voter list, bearing the same EPIC numbers.
While the Election Commission has categorically refuted these claims, asserting that systemic improvements are already underway to rectify any anomalies, political debates over electoral transparency continue to escalate in the lead-up to the crucial elections.
