Issue of Duplicate EPIC Numbers and Election Commission’s Explanation

Source: The post Issue of Duplicate EPIC Numbers and Election Commission’s Explanation Evaluation has been created, based on the article “Are unique electoral ID numbers being duplicated?” published in “The Hindu” on 10th March 2025. Issue of Duplicate EPIC Numbers and Election Commission’s Explanation

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper2- Polity- Election

Context: The article discusses allegations by West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee that the BJP, with EC’s support, included out-of-state voters in West Bengal’s voter list. The EC explained duplicate EPIC numbers were due to past manual systems and promised to fix them.

What are the allegations made by Mamata Banerjee about the voters’ list in West Bengal?

1. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of including voters from other states in the West Bengal voter list.
2. She claimed this was done with the support of the Election Commission (EC).
3. Banerjee cited cases of multiple voters having the same Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers as proof. The Trinamool Congress called the EC’s response a “cover-up.”

What is an EPIC card, and how does it work?

1. EPIC (Electors Photo Identity Card) is a 10-digit voter ID card issued by the Election Commission of India.
2. It was introduced in 1993 under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960 to enhance electoral transparency.
3. The EPIC number is a unique alphanumeric code assigned to each registered voter .
4. It is generated via the ERONET platform, a web-based system for managing voter registration, migration, and deletion.
5. The ERONET links the EPIC to state and constituency data, ensuring regional uniqueness.
6. For example, duplicate EPIC numbers arose from past manual systems before ERONET’s implementation.

For detailed information on Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) read this article here

How did the Election Commission respond to the allegations?

1. The EC admitted that identical EPIC numbers were issued due to a past decentralized and manual system before the ERONET platform was used.
2. However, it clarified that voters with the same EPIC number have different demographic details, constituencies, and polling booths.
3. The EC promised to fix the issue by updating to ERONET 2.0, which will ensure unique EPIC numbers.

What are the concerns raised by the Trinamool Congress about duplicate EPIC numbers?

1. The Trinamool Congress argued that duplicate EPIC numbers could lead to voters being denied their right to vote due to photo mismatches.
2. Trinamool MP Saket Gokhale claimed that the same EPIC number in different states could cause rejection if photos did not match.
3. He accused the EC of helping the BJP by targeting non-BJP voters with these duplicate numbers.
4. Gokhale insisted that EC rules require software to track EPIC numbers to prevent duplicates and called the issue a conspiracy for voter suppression.

Question for practice:

Evaluate the Election Commission’s explanation for the issue of duplicate EPIC numbers in West Bengal’s voter list.