Election Commission Addresses Duplicate Voter ID Concerns in West Bengal

The EC clarifies that identical EPIC numbers do not imply fake voters and announces measures to rectify the issue ahead of the 2026 assembly polls.

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of India (ECI) confirmed that some electors in different states have been issued identical EPIC numbers due to outdated manual systems predating the ERONET platform.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.