Kolkata: The issue of duplicate voters, or the same EPIC (Electors Photo Identity Card) number being assigned to two or more voters, has now been raised in Parliament. Almost all opposition parties are united on this issue.
For some, the issue of duplicate voters became public either through West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee or on social media. Mamata Banerjee mentioned it during an event in Kolkata, and a few days later, the Election Commission held a press conference on the matter in the national capital, Delhi. While the Commission accepted that duplicate voters do exist, it also claimed that they were addressing the issue after it was highlighted on several social media platforms.
However, the reality is that Mamata Banerjee was not aware of the existence of duplicate voters until it was brought to her notice, nor was there any viral social media debate or issue surrounding it.
A non-government organization (NGO), Parijayee Shramik Aikya Mancha, which works with migrant workers, discovered several such cases and sent a letter on December 27, 2024, to the Bengal State Election Commission as well as to Mamata Banerjee.
The Mancha also shared its findings with eNewsroom. Recognizing the significance of the issue, we immediately published the report on January 5, 2025.
In late February, Mamata Banerjee raised the issue but did not mention the organization that discovered the anomalies or reported the issue. A few days later, after the Bengal Chief Minister’s comment, the Election Commission, in its press briefing, only mentioned that the issue was being posted on social media. The Commission neither acknowledged Mamata Banerjee, eNewsroom, nor the NGO. However, sources at the Bengal State Election Commission confirmed that it had received a letter from the Mancha and forwarded it to the National Election Commission, after which the press conference was held.
The significance of the duplicate voter issue for the opposition is clear. After Banerjee highlighted it, TMC leaders held a press conference in Delhi. Now, the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, has also spoken about it, both inside and outside Parliament.
Yet, throughout this entire process, neither the Mancha nor the media organization has been mentioned. Additionally, the people from the Mancha have now gone silent on the matter.
Even without receiving credit, as a media organization, eNewsroom has been raising such important issues for the past eight years and will continue to do so. We believe that it is the people and their rights that matter to us.
