A day after the Election Commission of India stated that instances of duplication in the Election Photo Identity Card (EPIC) do not indicate the presence of duplicate or fake voters, the Congress party criticized the electoral body, labeling its comments as “bizarre.” The historic party emphasized that a unique voter ID for each Indian citizen is essential for maintaining a clean voter list.

In a statement from the Congress’ Empowered Action Group of Leaders and Experts (EAGLE), which focuses on issues ensuring free and fair elections, they highlighted disturbing developments regarding potential manipulation of the voter list. They asserted that the same voter ID number is being assigned to multiple voters, both within the same constituency and across different states, calling this phenomenon “utterly shocking.”

EAGLE likened the situation to multiple vehicles sharing the same registration number, which they described as an incomprehensible scenario in any democratic system. They referenced alerts raised by the Congress party back in December 2024 regarding significant irregularities in voter lists for the Maharashtra 2024 Vidhan Sabha election. They pointed out the statistical absurdity of the Election Commission recording more new voters (4 million) in the five months between the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections than in the entire five-year span from 2019 to 2024 (3.2 million).

The panel claimed that ground reports from certain constituencies indicated that thousands of new voters were added from just one building or brought in from other states. Alarmingly, they noted that a disproportionate number of these newly registered voters appeared to support the BJP-led alliance in Maharashtra, which may have skewed electoral outcomes in their favor.

EAGLE stated that the Election Commission of India’s silence on this issue implies complicity in the manipulation of voter lists. When presented with evidence of multiple voters sharing the same ID number, the Commission claimed that while voter ID numbers may coincide across states, they are unique within an individual state. However, this assertion was proven false, as instances of the same ID number appearing for several voters within the same state and constituency were identified. Following this exposure, the Commission has remained silent on the matter.

EAGLE demanded a unique voter ID number system throughout the nation, asserting that the Election Commission cannot claim ignorance or incompetence in these situations. They accused it of deliberately facilitating voter list manipulation to benefit the ruling party and undermine the principles of free and fair elections.

Criticizing the BJP, EAGLE stated, “It is evident that the ruling party seeks to secure electoral victories through the manipulation of voter lists, with the complicity of the Election Commission. This is why the process for appointing Election Commissioners is crucial to the Narendra Modi government, which has undermined a Supreme Court ruling aimed at ensuring a balanced committee for these appointments.”

The Congress panel affirmed its commitment to pursuing this issue vigorously, utilizing legal, political, legislative, and other avenues to seek resolution.