Maroc - EURASIAREVIEW.COM - A la une - Aujourd'hui 02:21

Trust Erodes In India’s Electoral System – OpEd

On March 4, 2025, as I sit to unpack the unfolding saga of duplicate Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers in India, the air feels thick with suspicion, political maneuvering, and a palpable sense of betrayal among voters. The allegations, spearheaded by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal, have cracked open a Pandora’s box, revealing a glitch in the electoral system that the Election Commission of India (ECI) now scrambles to address. The claim is stark: voters in Haryana and West Bengal share identical EPIC numbers, voter IDs meant to be unique, raising questions about the sanctity of the democratic process. The ECI’s admission in a press note dated March 2, 2025, that this mess stems from a decentralized, manual system predating the ERONET platform, only deepens the intrigue. How did this happen? Why was it overlooked? And what does it mean for India’s elections, past and future? Let us start with the basics. The EPIC number, a 10-digit alphanumeric code, is the backbone of voter identification in India. Introduced under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, and later bolstered by the digital ERONET system, it is designed to ensure every voter has a distinct identity, safeguarding against impersonation and fraud. The ECI has long touted its uniqueness, back in June 2019, it tweeted confidently that “Every EPIC or Elector’s Photo Identity Card has a unique EPIC Number which can be used to check one’s name in the Electoral Roll.” That assurance now rings hollow as evidence mounts of overlapping numbers across state lines. The TMC’s allegations are not just a regional grumble; they have ignited a national debate, with opposition parties smelling blood and citizens questioning the very foundation of their electoral trust. The ECI’s explanation, detailed in its March 2 press note, offers some clarity but little comfort. Before ERONET, a web-based platform for managing electoral rolls, came into play, voter registration relied on a fragmented, manual process. Different state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) offices, operating in silos, sometimes used the same alphanumeric series for EPIC numbers. The result? Voters in Haryana and West Bengal, for instance, might share an identical EPIC number, a flaw the ECI insists does not translate to fake voters or fraud. Why? Because these voters are registered in different constituencies, with distinct demographic details and polling booths, making it improbable for one to impersonate another across state borders. It is a technical defense, rooted in logistics rather than intent, but it is done little to quell the storm. Digging deeper, the ECI’s press note and subsequent clarifications, reported by outlets like The Hindu and The Times of India, promise a fix. ERONET 2.0, the next iteration of the platform, is being rolled out to ensure every EPIC number is unique. It is a forward-looking commitment, but it does not erase the past. If duplicates existed for years, how many elections were affected? The ECI insists there is no evidence of fraud, each voter’s identity remains tied to their specific constituency, but the opposition is not buying it. TMC leaders, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, have cried “voter fraud,” alleging “fake” and “outsider” voters propped up the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in past polls. The Congress has joined the chorus, slamming the ECI’s oversight as “bizarre,” while calls for Supreme Court intervention and election boycotts gain traction. This brings us to a proposed solution that is both tantalizing and divisive: linking EPIC numbers with Aadhaar, India’s 12-digit biometric identification number. Proponents argue it is the silver bullet, tie every voter to a unique Aadhaar ID, and duplicates vanish overnight. The ECI already offers a voluntary linking program, with step-by-step guides circulating online. Fill out Form 6B, submit your Aadhaar details, and you are synced. Simple, right? Not quite. Privacy advocates balk at the idea, warning of data breaches and surveillance creep. Yet, as critics point out, Aadhaar is already demanded for everything from bank accounts to mobile SIMs, why the uproar when it comes to voting? The ECI, for its part, keeps it optional, assuring no voter will be excluded for not linking. That stance, while diplomatic, leaves the core issue unresolved: voluntary measures will not catch every duplicate. The political stakes could not be higher. In West Bengal, where TMC faces a resurgent BJP, the duplicate EPIC scandal is a rallying cry. Banerjee’s claims of electoral manipulation, outsiders ferried in to vote with bogus IDs, echo a narrative of systemic sabotage. The Quint reports her pointing to this as a prelude to the 2026 state elections, a warning shot to both the ECI and her rivals. Across the aisle, the BJP dismisses it as sour grapes, but the ECI’s admission lends credence to at least part of the opposition’s case: the system was not watertight. Meanwhile, overseas Indian voters, who pay taxes but often lack voter IDs or Aadhaar, add another layer of grievance. Why, they ask, cannot the system streamline identity for all citizens, wherever they reside? The ECI’s credibility is on trial here. Once hailed as a pillar of Indian democracy, it is now mocked as a “caged parrot,” singing to the tune of political masters, an allusion to its perceived coziness with the ruling duo of BJP and its allies. That 2019 tweet, boasting of EPIC’s uniqueness, has come back to haunt it, exposing a gap between rhetoric and reality. The Handbook for Electoral Registration Officers, a dense ECI manual, lays out the process for issuing EPICs, but it is silent on how duplicates slipped through. Citizens like one exasperated X user, struggling for three months to correct a voter ID online, vent frustration at a bureaucracy that preaches digitization while stumbling over basics. “No voter left behind,” the ECI proclaims, yet the reality feels more like “no glitch left unexposed.” Could this be the tip of an iceberg? Theories swirl that BJP’s electoral victories, particularly in tight races, owe something to voter roll manipulation. Bogus IDs, duplicate voters, and lax oversight form a shadowy trinity in these accusations, though hard evidence remains elusive. The ECI’s defense, that duplicates do not equal fraud, holds water logically but not emotionally. Trust, once cracked, does not mend with press notes. Opposition leaders demand accountability, with some suggesting a return to ballot paper voting, a nostalgic but impractical fix in a digital age. Others, like legal minds cited on X, urge the Supreme Court to step in, arguing that only judicial oversight can force transparency and punish culprits. Let us weigh the options. The ECI’s ERONET upgrade is a start, promising unique IDs through better tech. It is less invasive than Aadhaar linking, sidestepping privacy debates, but its success hinges on execution, something the ECI’s track record now casts doubt on. Aadhaar, by contrast, offers a robust check, leveraging biometrics to root out overlaps. Yet, making it mandatory risks alienating voters and sparking lawsuits, while keeping it voluntary limits its reach. A hybrid approach, mandatory Aadhaar with ironclad data safeguards, might split the difference, but political will and public buy-in are shaky. For now, the ECI’s hurried note feels like a Band-Aid on a festering wound. The fallout is undeniable. Faith in institutions, already fragile in an era of polarized politics, takes another hit. The ECI, once a referee above the fray, now looks like a player caught off-guard. Opposition parties have a cause to rally around, but their boycott threats could backfire, alienating voters who want reform, not chaos. Civil society, from lawyers to activists, has a role to play, pushing for answers, not just outrage. And the public? They are left sifting through the noise, wondering if their vote, that sacred act, is as secure as they were told. In the end, this is not just about duplicate numbers, it is about what they symbolize: a system stretched thin, a democracy tested, and a trust betrayed. The ECI must do more than patch the holes; it needs to rebuild confidence with transparency, accountability, and perhaps a dash of humility. Linking EPIC to Aadhaar could be part of the fix, but only if paired with guarantees that privacy is not the price. As India barrels toward its next elections, the stakes are too high for half-measures. The dirty linen is out; now, it is time to clean it.