Election Commission Faces Scrutiny Over Duplicate Voter ID Issues

The Election Commission is under scrutiny over allegations of duplicate voter identity card numbers. Despite being a historical issue traced back to before BJP's tenure, the EC assures resolution within three months. Opposition leaders demand discussions, expressing concerns about electoral integrity.

Allegations of manipulation of electoral rolls have placed the Election Commission under scrutiny. Sources within the commission noted that the issue of duplicate voter identity card numbers is a longstanding problem, dating back to a time when the BJP-led NDA was not in power.

The EC has attempted to clarify that, regardless of EPIC numbers, voters can only cast their ballots at designated polling stations. To address concerns, they have committed to resolving all duplicate EPIC numbers within three months by assigning unique numbers to affected voters.

The issue was highlighted in Parliament, with the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, demanding a discussion. Other political figures, like Trinamool Congress' Kalyan Banerjee, accused the EC of failing to ensure fair and transparent elections in recent years.

(With inputs from agencies.)