New Delhi: Amid concerns raised by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) regarding the presence of ‘fake voters’ in electoral rolls, the Election Commission (EC) has decided to implement a new feature in its software to detect and eliminate ‘ghost voters’. This move is aimed at ensuring greater transparency and accuracy in voter lists ahead of the upcoming elections.
According to an official, the new feature will allow Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) to identify multiple voter names linked to the same EPIC (Electors Photo Identity Card) number. “The chief electoral officers in all states have been informed about this decision,” the official stated, adding that the step will help eliminate discrepancies in voter lists.
A letter was sent on Monday to all state chief electoral officers, informing them about the new module for correcting ‘duplicate EPIC numbers’. Previously, election officers at the state or district level were unable to detect similar EPIC numbers across different states, leading to potential voter duplication.
West Bengal, where TMC has raised concerns over fake voters, has been directed to complete corrections in the electoral rolls by March 21. Acting Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal, Dibyendu Das, conducted a virtual meeting with district officials to discuss the implementation of the new system.
