Duplicate voter ID numbers don't indicate fake voters: EC
What's the story
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has clarified concerns over duplicate Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers.
The ECI said while some electors may have the same EPIC number, their demographic details, Assembly Constituency, and polling booth information are different.
This occurred due to a manual process followed before the integration of the electoral roll database into the ERONET system.
Statement
ECI addresses concerns over duplicate EPIC numbers
The ECI said in a statement, "The Election Commission has taken cognizance of certain social media posts and media reports flagging the issue of electors of two states having identical EPIC numbers."
"In this regard, it is clarified that while the EPIC numbers of some of the electors may be identical, the other details...are different for the electors with the same EPIC number," it added.
System update
ECI to ensure unique EPIC numbers for all electors
To fix this problem, the ECI has now decided to ensure that every registered elector gets a unique EPIC number.
The ERONET 2.0 platform will be updated to assist in the process and remove any identified duplicates.
This move is aimed at ensuring transparency and preventing fraud in elections by acting as unique identifiers for registered voters across India.
Accusation
West Bengal CM accuses BJP of adding fake voters
Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of adding fake voters from "Haryana and Gujarat" to Bengal's electoral rolls with alleged backing from the ECI.
She claimed to have evidence that an agency in Bengal is replacing local voters' names with those from other states while keeping the Voter ID card number unchanged.