Tue Mar 04 06:24:16 UTC 2025: ## TMC Accuses Election Commission of Voter ID Fraud Cover-up

**New Delhi, March 4, 2025** – The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of covering up a massive voter ID fraud involving duplicate Electronic Photo Identity Cards (EPICs). The party alleges that the ECI’s clarification regarding the issue is a deliberate attempt to downplay a serious problem that could suppress votes in non-BJP strongholds.

The controversy began on Monday when the TMC alleged the issuance of duplicate EPIC numbers, giving the ECI a 24-hour deadline to acknowledge the error. On Tuesday, TMC Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale presented excerpts from the ECI’s “Handbook For Electoral Registration Officers” to refute the ECI’s explanation. Gokhale argued that the ECI’s claim that duplicate numbers were issued due to states using the same alphanumeric series is contradicted by the handbook, which states that Functional Unique Serial Numbers (FUSN) – the first three letters of the EPIC number – are unique to each assembly constituency. Therefore, he contends, identical EPIC numbers in different states are impossible.

Gokhale further highlighted that the EPIC number links a voter’s photo to their electoral roll. Issuing the same number to voters in different states would cause photo mismatches, potentially disenfranchising voters, particularly those likely to vote against the BJP. He pointed out that the ECI’s own software should prevent such duplication.

Gokhale accused the ECI of a deliberate attempt to suppress votes in favor of the BJP, claiming the issue reeks of a conspiracy. He raised concerns about the ECI’s impartiality given the current method of appointing Election Commissioners, a process he believes is susceptible to political influence. He demanded a transparent investigation into the matter and the disclosure of the total number of duplicate EPICs.

The ECI, in its Sunday statement, attributed the issue to a decentralized, manual system used before the implementation of the ERONET platform. However, the TMC maintains that this explanation is insufficient and intends to raise the issue in the upcoming Parliament session, collaborating with other opposition parties who have expressed similar concerns.

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