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Responding to media reports and social media posts showing multiple electors with the same voter ID number, the Election Commission Sunday said the duplication did not imply fake voters as different states had used the same alphanumeric series.
Last week, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had alleged that the BJP was adding fake voters to the electoral rolls ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections with the “collusion” of the EC. Later, lists of electors from Bengal and other states with the same Electors Photo Identification Card (EPIC) numbers were widely shared on social media.
“The Election Commission has taken cognizance of certain social media posts and media reports flagging the issue of electors of two 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. 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 EC said in a statement.
The EC added that the identical EPIC numbers were issued to some electors in different states due to the decentralised and manual system that was in place before the electoral roll database was shifted to the ERONET platform.
“This resulted in certain State/UT CEO offices using the same EPIC alphanumeric series and leaving a scope for the possibility of duplicate EPIC numbers being allotted to electors in different Assembly Constituencies in different States/UTs. However, to allay any apprehensions, the Commission has decided to ensure allotment of unique EPIC number to registered electors. 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 EC said.
Addressing Trinamool Congress workers in Kolkata last week, Banerjee had the non-BJP parties in Maharashtra and Delhi could not “catch” the alleged manipulation of electoral rolls.
“After Maharashtra and Delhi, now you are targeting Bengal. We will give you a befitting reply. Once again ‘khela hobe’. I am asking party workers to hit the ball harder this time,” she said.
The BJP hit back, submitting a memorandum to the state Chief Electoral Officer against the alleged attempt by the TMC to have voters from a particular community deleted from the rolls.
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