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Context:
- The Election Commission (EC) acknowledged the issue of duplicate voter ID numbers and committed to resolving it within three months by ensuring a unique national EPIC number for all voters.
Background of the Controversy
- The controversy surfaced after the Trinamool Congress (TMC) raised concerns, alleging that voters from other states were being added to West Bengal’s electoral roll.
- The EPIC (Electors Photo Identification Card) is a 10-digit unique number issued by the EC to every voter.
EC’s Response and Explanation
- The EC conducted a sample inquiry of over 100 electors, concluding that those with duplicate EPIC numbers were still genuine voters.
- It explained that since 2000, some Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) had mistakenly used the wrong EPIC series, leading to duplicate numbers across states.
- Because each State/UT managed its own voter database, the issue remained undetected for years.
- To fix this, the EC will:
- Assign a unique EPIC number to all voters with duplicate numbers.
- Ensure that future voters receive unique EPIC numbers.
Appeal Process for Affected Voters
- First Appeal: File a complaint with the District Magistrate/District Collector/Executive Magistrate under Section 24(a) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
- Second Appeal: If unsatisfied, escalate the matter to the Chief Electoral Officer of the respective State/UT.
Key Questions Raised
- If voter IDs were always supposed to be unique, why were duplicate EPIC numbers issued?
- Why did it take decades for the EC to acknowledge and attempt to fix the issue?
- Was the EC misrepresenting facts when it previously claimed all voter IDs were unique?
The EC’s initiative to assign a unique national EPIC number is a crucial step toward electoral transparency. However, the delay in addressing the issue has led to political backlash, raising concerns about electoral integrity and voter list management.