BJP claims WB has over 13 lakh duplicate voters, 8,415 with same EPIC; urges EC for revision

New Delhi, Mar 11 (PTI) The BJP Tuesday urged the Election Commission to audit and revise the voter rolls in West Bengal, claiming that more than 13 lakh duplicate voters have been added to the list during the Trinamool Congress rule.

About 8,415 people with similar EPIC numbers are registered in the state as voters, a delegation of the BJP's West Bengal unit, comprising its state president Sukanta Majumdar and the party's co-observer for the state Amit Malviya, claimed in a petition to the Election Commission.

"Today, a delegation of BJP West Bengal met the Election Commission. We apprised (EC) on the need for an audit and voter roll revision," Malviya told reporters outside the poll panel headquarters here.

"We have apprised the Election Commission that there are 13,03,065 duplicate voters in West Bengal... We have also pointed out to the Election Commission that there are about 8,414 voters with similar EPIC numbers," he added.

By duplicate voters, Malviya meant those with the same name, age and family member name in a district.

BJP sources claimed that of the total 8,415 voters with duplicate EPIC numbers, 7,235 were found in West Bengal with the same name, 857 in the state with different names and 323 in other states.

Malviya alleged that over the last 14 years, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her government have "systematically infiltrated" the voter rolls with illegal Bangladeshis and Rohingyas.

"We have impressed upon the Election Commission to look at the clearing of the voter rolls and identify these illegal voters so that our democratic process is not compromised," he said.

"We have told the panel that the audit of the voter rolls and their revision is necessary if the upcoming (assembly) polls in the state have to be violence-free, fair and transparent," Malviya said.

He added that the Election Commission has assured the BJP delegation that it will look into their demands and take appropriate action.

In a post on X later, the poll panel wrote, "The Commission welcomed the delegation of BJP today and informed them that only the citizens of India who are above 18 years of age can be registered as electors in the polling booths where they are ordinary residents." "Updation of electoral roll is a participative process with all political parties, including established mechanisms of appeal under section 24 of the RPA (Representation of the People Act) 1950," it added. PTI PK PK NSD NSD