Poll panel says duplicate ID numbers do not imply fake voters

The Election Commission on Sunday stated that duplication of voter ID numbers issued in different states does not imply fake voters had been added to electoral rolls. The allotment of the same number to more than one voter was a result of states using the same alphanumeric series, it added.

The statement came after media reports and social media posts showed electors from different states having the same EPIC, or voter ID, numbers.

EPIC, or the Electors Photo Identification Card, is issued by the Election Commission and serves as identification proof for Indian citizens over the age of 18 to cast their vote in elections. The EPIC number is the voter ID card number

On Thursday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of colluding with the Election Commission to add fake voters to electoral lists in order to win the recent Assembly elections in Delhi and Maharashtra.

She accused the Hindutva party of hiring two agencies, Association of Billion Minds and India 360, to allegedly add residents of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana to West Bengal’s voter lists. The state will have its next Assembly election in 2026.

“The Election Commission has taken cognisance of certain social media posts and media reports flagging the issue of electors of...

Read more