Amid row over duplicate voter IDs, ECI to resolve issue in next 3 months

New Delhi, March 7 (IANS) Amid a row over the duplicate Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers to voters across different states, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday said it has taken cognisance of the matter and will resolve the issue in the next three months.

“Sample enquiry of over 100 electors reveals that electors with duplicate EPIC numbers are genuine electors. Since the allotment of EPIC series in the year 2000 to the States/UTs, some EROs did not use the correct series,” the Election Commission said in a statement.

It said it has already taken cognisance of the matter. “Irrespective of an EPIC number, an elector who is linked to the electoral roll of a particular polling station can cast his vote at that polling station only and nowhere else,” it said.

“The issue of allotment of duplicate numbers due to incorrect series across States/UTs could not have been detected as the States/UTs were independently managing the electoral roll databases. The Commission has now decided to resolve this long pending issue after detailed discussions within the technical teams and concerned CEOs in the next three months by ensuring a unique national EPIC number to the existing electors having a duplicate EPIC number and for future electors as well.”

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee last week accused the BJP of manipulating the electoral rolls with the blessings of the ECI and enrolling people from Punjab, Haryana and Gujarat as electors in West Bengal. She had also asked her party leaders to find out the fake voters in ten days.

The Election Commission said India’s Electoral Rolls are the biggest database of electors across the globe with over 99 crore registered electors.

“In addition to the continuous updation of Electoral Rolls, the Election Commission conducts Annual Special Summary Revision (SSR) exercise every year for updation of electoral rolls which happens during the period of October-December every year with the publication of final rolls in the following month of January,” it said.

–IANS

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