The Trinamool Congress on Tuesday dismissed the Election Commission’s explanation on duplicate voter ID card and dismissed the Election Commission’s guidelines, saying that there could not be only one number on two identity cards.
TMC on Monday accused the “scam” in issuing duplicate voter ID card numbers and gave a 24 -hour time a time to the Election Commission to “accept its mistake”.
On Tuesday, the party’s Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale shared parts of the ‘Book for Election Registration Officers’ to counter the Election Commission clarification on the issue. The issue was first raised by party chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Gokhale said, “Yesterday, the All India Trinamool Congress gave the Election Commission of India 24 hours to accept its mistake on the issue of duplicate voter IDP fraud. Clearly, ECI, which has been exposed, wants to expose it.”
He said, “The ‘clarification’ given by the ECI (on Sunday) in response to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is actually a split. He has admitted that something is wrong, but refusing to accept it. The false ‘explanation’ given by the ECI denies their own rules and guidelines.”
He said that the process of issuing the EPIC (Electronic Electoral Photo Identity) card is scheduled in ECI’s ‘Playlet for Electoral Registration Officers’.
While the Election Commission said that the EPIC cards with the same number were issued to many voters due to some states using the same “alphanumeric series”, Gokhale shared some excerpts from the booklet and said it is impossible because it is impossible as functional specific serial number (FUSN) is different for each assembly constituency.
He said, “EPIC card number is an alphanumeric sequence of three letters and seven digits. The ECI book clearly states that three letters, known as functional specific number (FUSN), vary to each assembly constituency.”
He said, “Therefore, the EPIC of voters of two different assembly constituencies (even in the same state) is impossible to have the same three letters on the first three letters. Then how can it be that EPIC numbers similar to West Bengal voters have been allocated to the people of Haryana, Gujarat and other states?”
Opposing the explanation of the Election Commission that even if there is a single voter ID card number, two people can only vote in their respective constituencies, he said that the voter’s photo is connected through the voter ID card number.
“The photo of the voter in the photo voter list is connected through the EPIC number. Therefore, when a voter in Bengal goes to vote, his photo will be different in the voter list, if the same EPIC number is allotted to a person in another state.”
He said, “This will refuse voting due to photo disturbances. Allocating the same EPIC numbers in different states can be denied voting, who are likely to vote for non-BJP parties due to photo disturbances.”
He insisted that according to the rules of the Election Commission, the software used to issue EPIC cards will have to keep a record of each used and unused number, so that it can be ensured that the same EPIC number is not allotted to many people.
In addition, EPIC number connects the details of voters with their photo and is considered a “permanent unique identity”.
He said, “Therefore, it is impossible that the same EPIC number is allotted to many people in different states due to any ‘error’. Also, since the EPIC number is associated with voter details, voting can be denied due to duplicate EPIC number.”
He said, “It clearly smells a conspiracy to suppress voters in favor of BJP, where voters of non-BJP ruled areas are being targeted and their voter ID card numbers are being issued to people of other states.”
Gokhale said that the matter raises serious questions on the proceedings of the Election Commission, especially given that the Election Commissioners are now appointed by a three -member panel by the Narendra Modi government, with two members, the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
He said, “If the Election Commission is compromised by the BJP, there is no possibility of elections to be independent and fair. The Election Commission should also clarify and tell how many EPIC cards are active at present and how many of them have the same number.”
He said, “The Election Commission of India should clarify this and there should be a fair investigation into this duplicate voter ID card scam.”
The Election Commission on Sunday said that before transferring the voter list database of all states to ERONET (Electoral Roll Management) platform, some voters of different states and union territories were allotted equal EPIC number or series to some voters from different states and union territories.
According to a source, the issue will also be raised in the upcoming Parliament session and TMC is also in touch with some other Indian block parties who have expressed concern over voter lists in their states.