GUWAHATI: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has invited political parties to submit suggestions regarding discrepancies in electoral rolls to Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs), District Electoral Officers (DEOs), and Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) before April 30.
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The announcement from the commission arrived on Tuesday, March 11, a day after Opposition MPs raised the issue in Parliament, demanding a debate. Amid allegations by Opposition parties, the commission has also invited national and state parties for discussions to address their concerns.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and Trinamool Congress (AITC) MP Saugata Roy had alleged irregularities in voter lists across multiple states, including Maharashtra, West Bengal, and Assam. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge was also not allowed to raise the issue in the Rajya Sabha on Monday.
The ECI stated that it had previously directed electoral officials to engage regularly with political parties and address concerns strictly within the legal framework. Officials have been asked to submit action-taken reports by March 31. The commission emphasised that these measures have been taken to strengthen the electoral process in accordance with established laws.
Opposition parties, however, have claimed that several constituencies have seen abrupt deletions and additions of voters, as well as duplicate Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers. On March 2, the ECI clarified that an elector could cast a vote only at their designated polling station, regardless of EPIC number duplication. The commission attributed such duplications to the use of identical alphanumeric series in two states or Union Territories and assured that unique EPIC numbers would be allotted to resolve the issue.
Meanwhile, delegations from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), AITC, and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) separately met with the ECI. While the BJD suggested an independent audit of the election process, AITC raised concerns over duplicate EPIC numbers.
Following a meeting with AITC delegates, the ECI posted on X that all concerns, including duplicate EPIC numbers, incorrect voter deletions, and cases of illegal migrants, would be addressed through Booth Level Officers and Electoral Registration Officers, with active participation from Booth Level Agents appointed by political parties.
