New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday clarified that duplication of EPIC numbers on voter ID cards does not indicate fake voters. The ECI pointed out that this duplication was caused due to the decentralised, manual system followed before the voter database was shifted to a digital platform. However, the poll body assured that these duplications would be corrected by allotting unique EPIC numbers to all voters.
What did Mamata Banerjee allege
The ECI’s explanation follows West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s allegations of EPIC number duplication, which she said suggested that the BJP was colluding with the poll body to include fake voters in the state’s electoral rolls before next year’s Assembly elections. Mamata had alleged, “I have proof from all districts. Here it is. Names of people from Haryana and Gujarat appear alongside those of West Bengal residents under the same EPIC (Election Photo Identity Card) number. Fake voters have been added online.”
The TMC chief said the Opposition parties in Maharashtra and Delhi couldn’t identify this tactic. “However, we did. That is how the BJP romped to victory in Maharashtra and Delhi. They are targeting West Bengal now. We will respond strongly,” she said, and added that it was clear how the BJP was tampering with the voters’ list with the blessings of the Election Commission.
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What the poll body said
Without mentioning Mamata, the ECI’s clarification said that it took note of social media posts and media reports pointing to duplicate EPIC numbers of people from different states. In its statement, the poll body said: “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.”
It further explained that the duplication was due to a decentralised and manual system used before the transitioning of states’ electoral roll database 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,” the ECI said.
It pointed out, “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.”
How BJP reacted
Following the clarification of the commission, senior BJP leader and the party’s Bengal co-incharge Amit Malviya stated “another lie” from Mamata Banerjee has fallen flat. Taking to X, he wrote: “It is a pity that the Bengal Chief Minister is resorting to misinformation to lay the groundwork for her imminent defeat in 2026 and weaken voters’ confidence in the electoral system.”
Another lie from Mamata Banerjee about voter roll manipulation falls flat. It is a pity that the Bengal Chief Minister is resorting to misinformation to lay the groundwork for her imminent defeat in 2026 and weaken voters’ confidence in the electoral system.
Quote:
The Election… pic.twitter.com/YL5RSqZlZS
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) March 2, 2025
Malviya asked the ECI to prioritise a voter roll cleanup in Bengal “and remove illegal Bangladeshi and Rohingya settlers, whom the TMC has placed across the state as Mamata Banerjee’s vote bank”. He wrote, “The ECI must also thwart TMC’s attempts to eliminate the names of linguistic minorities and Hindu refugees-including the Matua community, who fled religious persecution and settled in Bengal-from the voter roll.”
