Election Commission is Complicit in Voter List Manipulation: Congress’ EAGLE
The Congress party has accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of being complicit in voter list manipulation, alleging that multiple voters have been assigned the same voter ID number within the same constituency and across different states. The party’s Empowered Action Group of Leaders and Experts (EAGLE) has described the revelation as “utterly shocking” and “unheard of in any electoral democracy.”
In a press release, EAGLE stated, “A unique voter ID for every Indian voter is the fundamental requirement and premise of a clean voter list. Multiple voters having the same voter ID number is as bizarre as multiple vehicles bearing the same registration number in the country.”
The issue first came to light during the 2024 Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha elections, where the Congress identified “huge irregularities” in voter lists. The party pointed out that the ECI registered 40 lakh new voters in the five months between the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections in 2024—significantly higher than the 32 lakh voters added over the entire five-year period from 2019 to 2024. “It is both a logical and statistical absurdity,” the statement added.
Ground reports revealed that thousands of new voters were registered from single buildings or brought in from other states. The Congress further claimed that a majority of these new voters appeared to have supported the BJP-led alliance, ultimately influencing the election outcome. Rahul Gandhi raised the issue in the Lok Sabha and opposition leaders in Maharashtra jointly demanded voter lists for scrutiny. However, the ECI’s continued silence, according to EAGLE, has only strengthened suspicions of its complicity.
The party further criticised the ECI’s initial response, which claimed that voter ID numbers may be duplicated across states but remain unique within a state. “Even that turned out to be a blatant lie,” EAGLE stated, highlighting cases of identical voter ID numbers being used by multiple individuals within the same constituency. “After this was pointed out, there has been pin-drop silence.”
Congress accused the ruling BJP of winning elections through electoral manipulation in collusion with the ECI. “The cover is now blown. It is clear that the ruling BJP wins or attempts to win elections by manipulating voter lists in connivance with the Election Commission,” the statement read. The party also linked this controversy to the Modi government’s recent move to alter the appointment process for Election Commissioners. “This is why the process of appointment of the Election Commissioners is so critical to the Narendra Modi government that it subverted a Supreme Court ruling to have a balanced committee to appoint Election Commissioners.”
The ECI, meanwhile, has admitted that identical EPIC (Electors Photo Identity Card) numbers were issued in multiple states due to an outdated “centralised and manual mechanism” that existed before the transition to the ERONET database. The commission, however, denied that these duplicate numbers indicated fake voters, stating that electors could vote only at their designated polling station. Nevertheless, it has now promised to ensure unique EPIC numbers for all registered voters and update the ERONET system accordingly.
Congress dismissed the ECI’s explanation, calling it an excuse to cover up deliberate electoral malpractice. The party declared that it would pursue legal, political, and legislative action to hold the ECI accountable. “This is a grave danger to the very idea of India as an electoral democracy. This transcends political parties and politics. Babasaheb Ambedkar fought for the setting up of an independent Election Commission to precisely resist this urge of executive interference in elections,” EAGLE stated.
With the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections, Congress’ EAGLE committee has vowed to scrutinise electoral processes closely and ensure transparency in future elections. “The Congress party will not let this issue fade away and is actively working on seeking remedy through legal, political, legislative and any other means,” it concluded.
