Are unique electoral ID numbers being duplicated?, Pg 8

Key Highlights

Trinamool Congress' Allegations

• West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee accused the Election Commission (EC) of aiding the ruling BJP by allowing duplicate Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers for voters across states.
• Claimed that this enabled voter suppression, particularly against non-BJP voters.
• MP Saket Gokhale alleged that EPIC numbers were linked to photos, and mismatches could deny voting rights.

What is an EPIC Card?

• A 10-digit unique voter ID number assigned by the Election Commission (EC) since 1993 under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
• It prevents impersonation and is managed via the ERONET digital platform, which maintains state and constituency-level data.

Election Commission’s Response

• Duplicate EPIC numbers arose due to past manual errors in decentralized registration before ERONET was introduced.
• Clarified that same EPIC numbers do not affect voting rights, as polling stations verify voter identity through demographic details and photos.
• ERONET 2.0 update will ensure unique EPIC numbers for all voters and rectify duplicates.

Concerns & Challenges

• EC admitted that some states assigned identical EPIC numbers, leading to concerns over electoral fraud and transparency.
• Trinamool Congress dismissed EC’s clarification as a "cover-up", alleging it disadvantages opposition voters.

Analysis & Way Forward

• Ensuring unique EPIC numbers across states is critical to electoral integrity.
• Improved digital voter verification mechanisms should be implemented under ERONET 2.0.
• The EC must address concerns of voter suppression through transparent audits and cross-verification of voter lists.

Mains Mock Question:

"Critically examine the role of the Election Commission in ensuring electoral transparency and preventing voter suppression. How can technology improve voter verification?"