New Delhi: Facing heat from opposition parties over the duplication of Electors’ Photo Identity Cards (EPIC), the Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday (March 11) invited the presidents and senior leaders of all political parties at a mutually convenient time for an interaction to “further strengthen electoral processes”.
The invitation came hours before delegations of three political parties – the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the BJP – met the poll body to discuss alleged irregularities in voter lists.
While the TMC and BJP both met the Election Commission to raise the issue of duplicate EPIC numbers, the saffron party accused the TMC government in West Bengal of including undocumented Bangladeshi and Rohingya people in the voter lists, and demanded an audit.
The BJD demanded an independent audit of the polling process to clear doubts about the election process in the minds of voters.
The EC’s outreach comes amid questions raised by opposition parties over irregularities in voter lists. Opposition parties on Monday had also demanded a discussion in both houses of parliament on the issue.
In the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday morning, adjournment notices had been submitted by members of the opposition demanding a discussion on duplication of EPIC numbers.
But these were declined, leading the opposition MPs to walk out.
“It clearly shows that the government wants to hide things. It is not transparent, it does not want to discuss EPIC cards; we protest and condemn this,” said BJD MP Sasmit Patra to reporters outside parliament.
Later on Tuesday, the EC met representatives from the TMC, BJD and BJP separately.
Following the meeting, TMC MP Sagarika Ghose said that all opposition parties have recognised the issue of duplicate EPIC cards and while the EC has acknowledged the issue, it has still not stated how many duplicate EPIC cards there are.
“Ever since we have provided solid evidence of duplicate EPIC cards, the Election Commission is still not telling us how many duplicate EPIC cards are there. What is the number?” said Ghose.
She continued: “It is saying that it will solve the problem in three months, but we are asking if you don’t even know how many duplicate cards there are, how will you solve the problem? We have given some suggestions on how electoral roles can be cleaned up. We have said if there are any changes in the electoral roll, the EC should bring out a separate roll and mention where the deletions and changes have been made.”
Ghose also said that there is now evidence that Aadhaar cards are being cloned and being used for fake registration.
“There is credible evidence that Aadhaar cards are being cloned and they are being used for fake voter registration. Why has the EC stated that seeding Aadhaar with EPIC is voluntary and not compulsory in Form 6B? How will the EC ensure that the alleged cloning of the Aadhaar card will not affect the EPIC card?
“Transparency and rigorous investigation is necessary. Stonewalling will not work. The EC has to walk the talk because electoral rolls are central to a free and fair poll.”
However, in its statement, the EC only said that all concerns relating to EPIC cards will be resolved.
“The Commission mentioned that all concerns including duplicate EPIC numbers, duplicate, shifted & dead voters & illegal migrants will be resolved by each Booth Level Officer & concerned Electoral Registration Officer with active participation of Booth level Agents appointed by all political parties,” it said in a statement.
BJP leaders Om Pathak, Sukanta Majumdar, Amit Malviya and others exit the EC after meeting election commissioners at Nirvachan Sadan on March 11. Photo: PTI/Kamal Kishore.
BJP says undocumented Bangladeshis in Bengal voter lists
Members of the BJP also met the EC and raised the issue of duplicate EPIC numbers in West Bengal’s voter lists and accused the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government of sheltering undocumented Bangladeshi and Rohingya people and including them in the voter lists.
“The information of EPIC numbers related to duplication were provided to the EC. These duplications were mostly of West Bengal; some are registered in other states. We said to them, if we have to keep the upcoming election free from violence and keep it fair [and] transparent, then there is a need for revision of voter rolls of West Bengal and an audit,” said BJP spokesperson Amit Malviya after the meeting.
“The commission has assured us that it will look into our request. In addition, there are illegal voters in West Bengal, the illegal Bangladeshis and Rohingyas whom the West Bengal government has sheltered in large numbers, whose names it has included in the voter roll and [whom it has] attempted to legitimise … We have asked the Commission to scan such voters. For dead, absent and moved voters, there is a need for voter roll cleanout, and it should be done in time.”
BJD demands audit of polling process
On Monday, the BJD had in a letter to the EC stated that discrepancies had been found that were either due to electronic voting machine (EVM) errors, manual errors or process errors and that doubts had been raised in the minds of voters about the conduct of free and fair elections “which get further strengthened due to non-furnishing of Form 17C Part I and II despite repeated written requests”.
The party in its memorandum stated that a mechanism should be developed for conducting an audit during polling at the booth level, the tallying of all VVPAT slaps with an EVM count in every booth and having a 30-day limit for district election officers to furnish copies of Form 17C.
Following its meeting with the EC on Tuesday, the BJD said that an independent audit needs to be conducted.
“Even if the EC could be saying that they are doing everything properly, the perception all around is very different and since this perception is so different, these suggestions have been made with a view to improve this electoral process. I do not think the EC should have any hesitation in getting an independent audit done,” said the BJD’s former Rajya Sabha MP Amar Patnaik after meeting the EC.
In its statement following the meeting, the EC simply said it had informed the delegation that “as per the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, the record of votes polled in all booths is already given to the Polling Agents of all candidates as per Form 17C.”
Invitation to ‘strengthen electoral process’
Prior to its meetings with the three parties on Tuesday, the EC in a statement said that it had sent a communication to party chiefs and senior leaders to “further strengthen electoral processes”.
“The Commission also envisaged an interaction with the Party Presidents and senior members of the party, at a mutually convenient time, to further strengthen electoral processes in accordance with the established law,” the EC’s statement said.
It also said it had invited all state and national political parties to give suggestions by April 30 for any “unresolved issues”.
Last week, amid reports of some voters having identical EPIC numbers, the EC said that while some EPIC numbers “may be identical”, other details such as a voter’s demographic information, assembly constituency and polling booth are different.
Last month, opposition MPs from Maharashtra alleged irregularities in the voter lists in the state and asked how there were more voters in Maharashtra than its adult population.
