TMC Alleges 'Voter Fraud', Flags Duplicate EPIC Numbers in Rolls; EC Clarifies
4 weeks, 2 days ago

TMC Alleges 'Voter Fraud', Flags Duplicate EPIC Numbers in Rolls; EC Clarifies

The Quint  

The All India Trinamool Congress, on 28 February, shared a list of people with duplicate EPIC numbers in voter rolls of West Bengal, and other states such as Haryana, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh. For context, an EPIC or Electors' Photo Identification Card carries the EPIC number — a 10-digit unique identification number assigned by the Election Commission of India to each registered voter. The poll body, however, issued a clarification saying "duplication in EPIC numbers does not imply duplicate/fake voters." It said, "Irrespective of the EPIC number, any elector can cast a vote only at their designated polling station in their respective constituency in the state where they are enrolled in the electoral roll."

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History of this topic

ECI sets the ball rolling on linking voter ID card with Aadhaar
2 weeks ago

ECI sets the ball rolling on linking voter ID card with Aadhaar

The Hindu  

The Election Commission on Tuesday set the ball rolling for linking Aadhaar with Electoral Photo Identity Card numbers. Commenting on the EC statement on its intent to link EPIC Voter ID numbers with Aadhaar numbers, the Empowered Action Group of Leaders and Experts of the Congress in a statement said the EC must consult all political parties/stakeholders and assure them …

Meeting on Voter Id-Aadhaar linking part of ECI’s effort to settle pending issues: Officials
2 weeks, 1 day ago

Meeting on Voter Id-Aadhaar linking part of ECI’s effort to settle pending issues: Officials

The Hindu  

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's proposed meeting with top government functionaries on linking voter ID with Aadhaar is part of proactive steps being taken by the poll panel to resolve "legacy issues" pending for the past 25 years, officials said on Monday. Amid the Opposition's allegations of fudging of electoral rolls data, Mr. Kumar has convened a meeting on Tuesday …

Derek O’Brien asks if government ready to discuss duplicate voter ID issue in Parliament
2 weeks, 1 day ago

Derek O’Brien asks if government ready to discuss duplicate voter ID issue in Parliament

The Hindu  

With Parliament's Budget Session resuming on Monday after a four-day break, Trinamool Congress MP Derek O'Brien said the opposition wanted a debate on the issue of duplicate voter ID cards and asked if the government was ready for it. Parliament Budget Session: Follow LIVE updates on March 17, 2025 In a memorandum to the Election Commission of India last week, …

Duplicate Voter IDs? ECI in Crisis as EPIC Number Duplication Sparks Controversy
2 weeks, 4 days ago

Duplicate Voter IDs? ECI in Crisis as EPIC Number Duplication Sparks Controversy

The Hindu  

Published : Mar 14, 2025 19:07 IST - 6 MINS READ Controversy continues to dog the Election Commission, and this time, it finds itself in the eye of a storm over the duplication of EPIC numbers. The ECI’s first response came on March 2, when it said it had taken cognisance of “certain social media posts and media reports flagging …

Amid row over duplicate voter cards, EC calls for discussion with parties
2 weeks, 6 days ago

Amid row over duplicate voter cards, EC calls for discussion with parties

New Indian Express  

NEW DELHI: Amid the raging row over duplicate Electoral Photo Identity Card numbers, the Election Commission has written to all political parties, asking them to participate in a meeting to strengthen the election process within the legal framework, indicating that such an interaction could take place at their convenience. In the meantime, the poll panel also invited suggestions from all …

Are unique electoral ID numbers being duplicated? | Explained
3 weeks, 1 day ago

Are unique electoral ID numbers being duplicated? | Explained

The Hindu  

The story so far: On February 27, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that the ruling BJP was “with the blessings of Election Commission of India ” including voters from other States in the West Bengal voters’ list. The Commission said that the allotment of identical EPIC numbers to some voters from different States or UTs was due to …

Opposition looks to corner govt in Parl session over Waqf law, EPIC
3 weeks, 3 days ago

Opposition looks to corner govt in Parl session over Waqf law, EPIC

Hindustan Times  

Drawing the battlelines for the second half of the Budget session of Parliament, which starts on March 10, various Opposition parties, including the Congress, are preparing to push a raft of notices seeking a debate on the duplicate voter I-card issue, with people aware of the matter saying the Opposition will also try to stall the controversial Waqf law amendments …

Will address duplicate voter ID numbers soon: ECI
3 weeks, 3 days ago

Will address duplicate voter ID numbers soon: ECI

Hindustan Times  

The Election Commission of India on Friday announced plans to replace all duplicate Elector Photo Identity Card numbers with unique identifiers within the next three months, but reiterated that the duplication of the numbers did not mean there were fake voters. The commission said it had carried out a “sample enquiry” of over 100 electors and found that those with …

EC to Resolve EPIC Duplication in 3 Months
3 weeks, 4 days ago

EC to Resolve EPIC Duplication in 3 Months

Deccan Chronicle  

New Delhi: Responding to concerns raised over duplicate EPIC numbers, the Election Commission of India announced on Friday its plan to resolve the long-standing discrepancies within three months. The party also expressed dissatisfaction over the ECI’s reluctance to provide voter roll copies, particularly regarding recent controversies during the Maharashtra assembly elections. Clarifying its position, the ECI stated that duplicate numbers …

ECI Promises To Resolve Duplicate Voter ID Issue In 3 Months; TMC Claims 'Admission Of Guilt'
Trending News
3 weeks, 4 days ago

ECI Promises To Resolve Duplicate Voter ID Issue In 3 Months; TMC Claims 'Admission Of Guilt'

ABP News  

Amid allegations of a cover-up regarding duplicate voter identity card numbers, the Election Commission of India on Friday announced that it will address the "decades-long" issue within the next three months. Duplicate EPIC Numbers: TMC MP Saket Gokhale Alleges 'Admission Of Guilt' The issue was flagged by the Trinamool Congress, which accused the ECI of a cover-up. "The Election Commission …

Election Commission to fix duplicate voter ID numbers issue in 3 months
Top News
3 weeks, 4 days ago

Election Commission to fix duplicate voter ID numbers issue in 3 months

The Hindu  

Amid the controversy over duplicate Voter ID Card numbers issued to some electors, the Election Commission of India on Friday said it would resolve the matter in the next three months by ensuring a unique national EPIC number to all voters. The Trinamool Congress, which had first raised the issue of duplicate Voter IDs, was quick to react saying “the …

'Decades-long' duplicate voter I card numbers issue to be addressed in three months: Election Commission
3 weeks, 4 days ago

'Decades-long' duplicate voter I card numbers issue to be addressed in three months: Election Commission

India TV News  

'Decades-long' duplicate voter I card numbers issue to be addressed in three months: Election Commission The poll authority said India's electoral rolls are the biggest database of electors across the globe with over 99 crore registered voters. Amid allegations of a cover-up on the issue of duplicate voter identity card numbers, the Election Commission on Friday said it will address …

Duplication in EPIC numbers to be rectified within three months: ECI
Top News
3 weeks, 4 days ago

Duplication in EPIC numbers to be rectified within three months: ECI

New Indian Express  

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India on Friday announced that it would address the decade long issue of duplicate Electoral Photo Identity Card numbers within next three months. The ECI has decided on this in the wake of criticism from Opposition parties, including the Congress and the TMC, as it also claimed that it has already taken cognizance of …

Trinamool delegation meets poll panel over alleged 'ghost' voters in Bengal
Trending News
3 weeks, 5 days ago

Trinamool delegation meets poll panel over alleged 'ghost' voters in Bengal

India Today  

Gearing up for the West Bengal Assembly elections next year, a Trinamool Congress delegation met the state Election Commission on Thursday, expressing concerns over the alleged presence of "ghost voters" who could influence poll results and demanded legitimate voters in the state be assigned a unique ID so that there is no duplication of votes. A state TMC delegation comprising …

BJP accuses Trinamool of caste survey bias: Diverting resources towards Muslims
Trending News
3 weeks, 6 days ago

BJP accuses Trinamool of caste survey bias: Diverting resources towards Muslims

India Today  

The BJP has launched fresh allegations against the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal, accusing it of conducting a caste-based benchmark sample survey to benefit Muslim Other Backward Classes at the expense of Hindu OBCs. The allegations come amid Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led party's counterclaims that BJP was adding fake names to the electoral rolls with the help of the …

​Double trouble: On elections, the EPIC number and the voter
Trending News
4 weeks ago

​Double trouble: On elections, the EPIC number and the voter

The Hindu  

The integrity of the electoral system in India is dependent upon the confidence reposed in it by prospective voters and the participatory political parties. A new complaint after recent State elections relates to the increased number of electors in the Assembly polls when compared to the numbers registered in the general election for the same year. This along with the …

How can voters in different states end up with same EPIC numbers? | In Focus podcast
4 weeks ago

How can voters in different states end up with same EPIC numbers? | In Focus podcast

The Hindu  

The All India Trinamool Congress has released documents showing that some voters in West Bengal have the same EPIC numbers as some voters in states like Gujarat, Haryana and Punjab. The Election Commission has attributed the duplication of EPIC numbers to a manual, decentralised system of allotting EPIC system that predated the current electoral database platform called ERONET. But the …

CEC Gyanesh Kumar asks poll officials to hold all party meetings, resolve issues
4 weeks ago

CEC Gyanesh Kumar asks poll officials to hold all party meetings, resolve issues

Hindustan Times  

Chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Tuesday asked state chief electoral officers to hold all party meetings and resolve issues within the statutory framework, emphasising no electoral staff or officer should be intimidated using false claims. Chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar at a conference of poll officials. “.fulfil all statutory obligations diligently and as per the existing legal framework.,” he …

TMC calls EC's clarification on duplicate voter IDs 'cover-up,' citing contradiction in its own rules
Top News
4 weeks ago

TMC calls EC's clarification on duplicate voter IDs 'cover-up,' citing contradiction in its own rules

New Indian Express  

NEW DELHI: The Trinamool Congress on Tuesday dismissed the Election Commission's clarifications on duplicate voter ID numbers as a "cover-up" and cited the poll panel's own guidelines to assert that two cards cannot have identical numbers. While the EC said photo ID cards with the same numbers were issued to multiple voters due to certain states using the same "alphanumeric …

Why Trinamool Congress issued EC a 24-hour ultimatum
4 weeks ago

Why Trinamool Congress issued EC a 24-hour ultimatum

India Today  

The Trinamool Congress has expressed dissatisfaction with the Election Commission’s response regarding the duplication of voter ID numbers in West Bengal, an issue the party alleges compromises electoral integrity. TMC’s Rajya Sabha parliamentary party leader Derek O’Brien, at a media conference in New Delhi, demanded that the EC formally accept the “error” within 24 hours or face further revelations from …

Duplicate voter IDs, name deletions trigger row in Bengal; EC assures rectification
Top News
4 weeks, 1 day ago

Duplicate voter IDs, name deletions trigger row in Bengal; EC assures rectification

Hindustan Times  

19-year-old Akash Saha, a resident of Kolkata’s Ultadanga area, Pradip Sarkar, 61, from Baruipur in South 24 Parganas district and Taslim Mian, 54, who lives at Gangarampur in north Bengal’s South Dinajpur district, don’t know each other but have become subjects of a raging political issue alongside a few thousand other West Bengal residents before the 2026 assembly polls in …

TMC Cites EC Note to Back Claims of Voter List Anomalies
4 weeks, 1 day ago

TMC Cites EC Note to Back Claims of Voter List Anomalies

Deccan Chronicle  

Kolkata: The ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal said the Election Commission's statement that duplicate numbers do not necessarily imply fake voters backed its claims about the inclusion of non-resident voters in the state's electoral list to help a "particular party". Amid reports flagging the issuance of identical voter card numbers to electors in two different states, the EC in …

EC must accept error within 24 hours: TMC on duplication of voter card numbers
4 weeks, 1 day ago

EC must accept error within 24 hours: TMC on duplication of voter card numbers

New Indian Express  

NEW DELHI: The Trinamool Congress on Monday expressed dissatisfaction with the Election Commission's response to the duplication of voter card numbers, saying the poll panel must accept the error within 24 hours. Addressing a press conference here, TMC Rajya Sabha Parliamentary Party Leader Derek O'Brien said if the EC fails to do it, the party would come out with more …

ECI clarifies same EPIC number doesn’t imply duplicate or fake voters
4 weeks, 2 days ago

ECI clarifies same EPIC number doesn’t imply duplicate or fake voters

Hindustan Times  

New Delhi: Same electors photo identify card number does not imply duplicate or fake voters, the Election Commision of India clarified on Saturday. The EC added that to do away with this confusion, it will ensure allotment of a unique EPIC number to all registered electors, and the ‘ERONET 2.0 platform’ will be updated to facilitate and support this process …

ECI statement on EPIC duplication proves Mamata’s allegations of poll fraud are true: Trinamool
4 weeks, 2 days ago

ECI statement on EPIC duplication proves Mamata’s allegations of poll fraud are true: Trinamool

The Hindu  

The Election Commission of India statement on the duplication of voter ID card numbers is a damage-control exercise that proves the allegations of electoral roll manipulation made by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress said on Sunday. Democracy is not a Modi-made product that can be tampered, tweaked, and sold off.” ‘Damage control’ On February 27, Ms. …

ECI: Identical EPIC numbers don’t indicate duplicate or fake voters
4 weeks, 2 days ago

ECI: Identical EPIC numbers don’t indicate duplicate or fake voters

Op India  

The Election Commission of India on Sunday clarified that having the same Electors Photo Identity Card number doesn’t mean there are duplicate or fake voters. Cases of duplicate EPIC numbers due to use of identical alphanumeric series in two States/UTs Unique EPIC number to be allotted to registered electors The ECI’s clarification comes after concerns were raised on social media …

ECI allays fears on duplicate Voter ID numbers; says will ensure unique ID
4 weeks, 2 days ago

ECI allays fears on duplicate Voter ID numbers; says will ensure unique ID

The Hindu  

Taking cognizance of certain reports that electors in two different States were getting the same Voter ID numbers, the Election Commission of India on Sunday said irrespective of the EPIC number, a person can cast a vote only at their designated polling stations in their respective constituencies in their States or Union Territories. Certain social media posts had flagged the …

EC Weighs In On 'Duplicate EPIC Numbers' Row, Explains How It Happened: 'Not A Sign Of Voter Fraud'
4 weeks, 2 days ago

EC Weighs In On 'Duplicate EPIC Numbers' Row, Explains How It Happened: 'Not A Sign Of Voter Fraud'

ABP News  

The Election Commission of India in a statement said that it has taken cognizance of the social media posts and news reports regarding electors who have the same number on their Election Photo Identity Card or Voter identity cards. The election body explained that while the numbers maybe identical, other details such as “demographic details, Assembly Constituency and polling booth …

Duplication of voter card numbers doesn't imply fake voters: Election Commission
Top News
4 weeks, 2 days ago

Duplication of voter card numbers doesn't imply fake voters: Election Commission

Hindustan Times  

The Election Commission of India responded to claims flagging the issuance of identical voter card numbers on Sunday, stating that the duplication of the voter card numbers did not necessarily mean that there were fake voters, reported PTI. Representational picture: The ECI has said that duplicate EPIC numbers don't necessarily indicate fake voters The issue of fake voters had been …

Election Commission addresses concerns over duplicate voter ID numbers, says ‘EPIC numbers do not indicate fake voters’
4 weeks, 2 days ago

Election Commission addresses concerns over duplicate voter ID numbers, says ‘EPIC numbers do not indicate fake voters’

Live Mint  

The Election Commission of India has clarified that the occurrence of duplicate EPIC numbers does not indicate the presence of duplicate or fake voters. The clarification comes after concerns were raised on social media and through media reports about electors in different States/UTs having identical EPIC numbers. "The Election Commission has taken cognizance of certain social media posts and media …

Having same EPIC numbers doesn’t duplicate or fake voters: Election Commission of India
Top News
4 weeks, 2 days ago

Having same EPIC numbers doesn’t duplicate or fake voters: Election Commission of India

New Indian Express  

NEW DELHI: Addressing certain social media posts that suggested electors in two different states were getting the same Voter ID numbers, the Election Commission of India dismissed the possibility of duplications. However, the poll panel in a statement further clarified that the Commission will work to avoid even this duplication by allotting voters unique Electors Photo Identity Card numbers. It …

Duplicate voter ID numbers doesn't indicate fake voters, poll body clarifies
Top News
4 weeks, 2 days ago

Duplicate voter ID numbers doesn't indicate fake voters, poll body clarifies

India Today  

The Election Commission of India has dismissed allegations of electoral roll manipulation, stating that duplicate Electors Photo Identity Card numbers do not indicate "fake or duplicate voters". The clarification comes amid concerns raised on social media and by opposition leaders regarding identical EPIC numbers assigned to voters in different states. "The Election Commission has taken cognisance of certain social media …

Duplication of voter card numbers does not indicate fake voters, says EC
4 weeks, 2 days ago

Duplication of voter card numbers does not indicate fake voters, says EC

New Indian Express  

NEW DELHI: Amid reports flagging issuance of identical voter card numbers to electors in two different states, the Election Commission on Sunday said duplicate numbers do not necessarily imply fake voters. It also said that while elector photo identity card numbers of some of the voters "may be identical", the other details including demographic details, assembly constituency and polling booth …

Fraud of EPIC proportions: Trinamool after poll body clarification on voter IDs
4 weeks, 2 days ago

Fraud of EPIC proportions: Trinamool after poll body clarification on voter IDs

India Today  

The Trinamool Congress on Sunday launched a blistering attack on the 'neutral' Election Commission, accusing the poll body of being a "BJP's poll-rigging department" after it dismissed allegations of electoral roll manipulation. Accusing the poll panel of enabling large-scale election fraud, the Mamata Banerjee-led party alleged that the BJP attempted to rig elections by assigning duplicate Electors Photo Identity Card …

Newly Enrolled Voters in Andhra Pradesh to Receive EPICs by February 15
1 year, 2 months ago

Newly Enrolled Voters in Andhra Pradesh to Receive EPICs by February 15

Deccan Chronicle  

Vijayawada: All the newly enrolled voters of Andhra Pradesh, including the first-timers of 18–19 years of age, are likely to get their Electoral Photo Identity Cards by February 15. I can show it off to all my friends and kin claiming that I have become a voter and have cast my vote in a free and fair manner.” As per …

Election Commission considers proposal for digitisation of voter ids
4 years, 3 months ago

Election Commission considers proposal for digitisation of voter ids

Hindustan Times  

The Election Commission of India is considering a proposal to digitise voter id cards and do away with hardcopies, people familiar with the matter told Hindustan Times. The Elector’s Photo Identity Card is presently available in form of a hardcopy and may now be available as a PDF. The digitisation process of the Elector’s Photo Identity Card could begin before …

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