Overview
- The Election Commission of India (ECI) confirmed that some electors in different states have been issued identical EPIC numbers due to outdated manual systems predating the ERONET platform.
- The EC emphasized that identical EPIC numbers do not indicate fake voters, as demographic details, polling booths, and constituencies remain distinct for each voter.
- To address concerns, the EC announced plans to assign unique EPIC numbers to all voters and update the ERONET 2.0 platform to prevent future duplication.
- West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP and the EC of manipulating voter rolls, alleging the inclusion of non-resident voters to influence the 2026 assembly elections.
- The BJP countered these allegations, claiming that the TMC has enrolled illegal voters, while the EC reiterated that voter roll updates follow established legal protocols.