On March 11, a 10-member TMC delegation met EC officials, alleging that Aadhaar cards were being cloned, raising the possibility of their misuse for fake voter registrations. The party demanded that the EC issue a separate list detailing voter deletions, new additions, and modifications with each revised electoral roll.
What is an EPIC number?
The ECI issues the Electors Photo Identification Card (EPIC), a 10-digit voter ID number, to citizens above 18 years of age. An EPIC contains an elector’s name, age, residence, and any other details specified by the EC, along with a photograph and the facsimile signature of the registration officer.
EC clarifies duplicate EPIC issue
On March 2, the ECI explained that identical EPIC numbers had been assigned to voters from different states and Union Territories due to a “decentralised and manual mechanism” in place before all electoral roll databases were moved to the ERONET (Electoral Roll Management) platform.
The EC clarified that while some voters may have identical EPIC numbers, their other details—including demographic data, assembly constituency, and polling booth—remain different.
Since EPIC series allotments to states and UTs began in 2000, some Electoral Registration Officers used incorrect series, leading to duplication. The issue remained undetected as states and UTs were independently managing their electoral roll databases.
The EC has now committed to resolving this “long-pending issue” within the next three months after discussions with technical teams and state chief electoral officers. It has also instructed state election officials to hold regular meetings with political parties and address concerns as per procedure.
Opposition accuses BJP of electoral manipulation
West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee, on February 27, alleged that the BJP, “with the blessings of the Election Commission of India,” was attempting to influence next year’s state assembly election by including fake EPIC numbers from other states in West Bengal’s voter list.
She further accused the BJP of manipulating electoral rolls in Maharashtra and Delhi in collusion with the ECI and claimed that non-residents were being brought into West Bengal to vote using duplicate EPIC numbers.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has also flagged electoral discrepancies in Maharashtra. He alleged that over 39 lakh voters were added to the state’s electoral rolls in just five months—more than the total electorate of Himachal Pradesh.
“In five years between the Vidhan Sabha elections in 2019 and Lok Sabha 2024, 32 lakh voters were added. However, in five months between Lok Sabha 2024—which these parties (Congress, NCP-SCP, Shiv Sena (UBT)) won—and Vidhan Sabha elections, 39 lakh voters were added. The question is, who are these 39 lakh voters? That is equivalent to the total number of voters of Himachal Pradesh. The second point is, why are there more voters in Maharashtra than the entire voting population of the state? Somehow, the voters have been suddenly created in Maharashtra,” he was quoted as saying by ANI.
Gandhi’s claims were backed by alliance partners Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction).
EC to introduce software upgrade to detect ‘ghost’ voters
In response to the concerns, the EC has decided to introduce a new feature in its software to identify ‘ghost’ electors. The upgrade will help Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) detect multiple voter names linked to the same EPIC number, an official told PTI.
“The chief electoral officers in all states have been informed about this decision,” the official said.
Additionally, corrections to West Bengal’s voter list have been ordered to be completed by March 21.
The EC is also considering linking voter ID with Aadhaar as part of efforts to resolve legacy electoral roll issues dating back 25 years. It has sought suggestions from all national and state parties on matters including voter roll purification by April 30.
