4 min readNew DelhiMar 4, 2025 04:08 AM IST
First published on: Mar 3, 2025 at 09:34 PM IST
A day after the Election Commission admitted that different electors could have the same voter ID number, the Congress and the TMC Monday intensified their attack on the panel. The parties contested the EC’s defence that duplicate IDs exist in different states, alleged its “complicity” in voter “manipulation” and sought a “clean-up” of the rolls within the next three months.
The TMC on Monday said that the poll panel should accept the “discrepancies” within 24 hours. It threatened to release a document showing an “expose” on Tuesday if the EC didn’t do so.
On Sunday, responding to reports and social media posts showing multiple people with the same Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) number, the poll panel had said the duplication did not imply fake voters as different states had used the same alphanumeric series.
A Congress panel, which the party has formed to watch over elections, said in a statement Monday: “The same voter ID number is being used for several voters, both from the same constituency in the same state as well as from other states. This is utterly shocking. A unique voter ID for every Indian voter is the fundamental requirement.”
“When confronted with proof of (the) same voter ID number used by multiple voters, the Election Commission initially responded claiming that a voter ID number may be the same across states, but it is unique to a particular state. Even that turned out to be a blatant lie as there are cases of the same voter ID number used by several voters in the same state and in the same constituency. After this was pointed out, there has been pin drop silence,” said the panel, named ‘Empowered Action Group of Leaders and Experts’ (EAGLE).
“The Election Commission cannot feign ignorance or incompetence in this matter. It is a deliberate act of voter list manipulation to aid the ruling party and thwart the idea of free and fair elections,” it said. “The cover is now blown. It is clear that the ruling BJP wins or attempts to win elections by manipulating voter lists in connivance with the Election Commission.”
At a press conference, TMC Rajya Sabha leader Derek O’Brien called the duplication of IDs an “Epic Scam”. He said the issue was first raised by party chairperson and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on February 27.
“On March 2 at 8 am, the TMC sent out a notice for a press conference. Then what happens within two-and-a-half hours… the EC issues a statement. Who was caught red handed?” asked O’Brien.
He said: “The EC is admitting the error, but it has still not accepted the error.”
On behalf of the party, he issued a 24-hour deadline to the EC, urging it to “accept” the alleged discrepancy. “If the error is not accepted, we will share a document at 9 am on Tuesday morning,” O’Brien said.
The party also demanded a clean-up of voter lists over the next three months to ensure fair elections in the state.
On Sunday, the poll panel had said that identical EPIC numbers were issued to some electors in different states due to the decentralised and manual system that was used by states before the electoral roll database was shifted to the ERONET platform in 2017.
The EC said it would update the ERONET 2.0 platform to make sure that unique EPIC numbers are allotted to all. The panel, however, did not comment on the cases of electors in the same state with the same EPIC number.
According to sources, the poll body is planning to give new EPIC numbers to registered electors who have the same EPIC numbers as others. As per the EC’s Manual on Electoral Rolls, 2023, all EPICs are supposed to have unique numbers. However, it does not mention what happens to EPICs issued pre-2017.
TMC and Congress intensify attack on the Election Commission over voter ID discrepancies. (File Photo) 
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