New Delhi, May 13
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has successfully resolved the issue of electoral photo identity cards (EPICs) bearing similar numbers, a problem that had raised concerns over voter list authenticity. According to official sources on Tuesday, all affected voters have now been issued fresh cards with unique identification numbers.Duplicate Numbers Found to Be Rare and Random
Sources indicated that duplicate EPIC numbers were "minuscule", averaging around one instance per four polling stations. Upon verification at the field level, it was confirmed that these similar-number EPICs belonged to legitimate voters spread across different polling stations and assembly constituencies.Extensive Verification Drive Across 10.5 Lakh Polling Stations
In response to allegations from opposition parties, including the Trinamool Congress (TMC), about alleged voter list manipulation, the ECI pledged to resolve this long-standing issue within three months in March.Fulfilling this commitment, the Election Commission undertook a nationwide verification initiative. The electoral database—comprising more than 99 crore registered voters—was thoroughly scanned. This massive effort was carried out by chief electoral officers (CEOs) from all 36 states and Union territories, along with electoral registration officers (EROs) from all 4,123 assembly constituencies covering 10.50 lakh polling stations.
With an average of about 1,000 electors per polling station, the verification campaign was one of the most comprehensive undertaken in the commission’s history.
Background and Political Significance
This development comes in the wake of growing political scrutiny over the accuracy of the electoral rolls, especially with opposition parties flagging instances of irregularities. The resolution of the EPIC duplication issue is expected to bolster confidence in the integrity of India's electoral processes ahead of upcoming elections.The Election Commission reiterated that the issue, while sensitive, was limited in scope and has now been conclusively addressed.
