New Delhi: The parliamentary panel examining ‘one nation, one election’ bills will soon launch a website to invite suggestions from across the country on the issue.
BJP leader P P Chaudhary, the chairman of the Joint Committee on the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty–Ninth Amendment) Bill, 2024, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, said the panel was working with full transparency and wanted to ensure that everyone got an opportunity to share their views on the issue of simultaneous polls.
The panel also heard the views of former chief justice of India and Rajya Sabha member Ranjan Gogoi and former Delhi High Court chief justice Rajendra Menon.
Chaudhary said a presentation of the website was organised for panel members and the Committee will also issue an advertisement inviting memoranda from across the country on simultaneous elections.
He said that elections were conducted simultaneously across the country from 1952 to 1967, when the cycle was broken.
There have been demands from various quarters from the 1980s for the restoration of simultaneous elections, Chaudhary added.
TMC meets EC bench over duplicate voter id issue, say Aadhaar also being cloned
Reporters Today
New Delhi: Trinamool Congress leaders have met the Election Commission over the issue of duplicate voter ID numbers and alleged that Aadhaar cards were being cloned which may lead to the possibility of these being used for fake voter registration.
The party demanded that the EC issue a separate list of voter deletions, new additions and modifications with every new revised electoral roll.
Speaking to the media after the ten-member TMC delegation met Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and other Election Commissioners, party leader Sagarika Ghose expressed scepticism over the poll panel’s recent statement assuring that the concerns would be addressed in three months.
“This is an extremely serious issue. Ever since West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee flagged the issue, all parties have realised it’s a serious issue that poses a threat to electoral democracy,” Ghose, who is TMC Rajya Sabha deputy leader, said.
“The EC says it will resolve the issue in three months… We are asking if you don’t even know the number, how are you giving the deadline?” she said.
Amid allegations of a cover-up over duplicate voter identity card numbers, the Election Commission had on Friday said it will address the “decades-long” matter in the next three months.
Ghose said that there is “credible evidence” that Aadhaar cards are also being cloned, and expressed concern that they may be used for getting “fake voter ID cards” issued.
“Why has the EC not stated that seeding Aadhaar with voter ID card is voluntary and not compulsory,” she said.
The Election Commission, meanwhile, said in a post on X that the issue will be resolved by Booth Level Officers and Electoral Registration Officers concerned.
ECI welcomed the delegation of Trinamool Congress today. The Commission mentioned that all concerns including duplicate EPIC numbers, duplicate, shifted and dead voters and illegal migrants will be resolved by each Booth Level Officer and concerned Electoral Registration Officer with active participation of Booth level Agents appointed by all political parties,” the poll panel said.
In a four-page memorandum submitted to the poll panel, the TMC said EPIC numbers consist of an alphanumeric sequence of three letters known as the “Functional Unique Serial Number (FUSN)” which is different for every Assembly constituency in India, and seven digits, are supposed to be unique.
“How were EPICs with the same number issued to voters in multiple Assembly constituencies across various states in the country?” the TMC said.
They also questioned how the poll panel would ensure that the “cloning” of Aadhaar would not affect voter registrations.
“Why has ECI not clearly stated on its Form 6B that seeding Aadhaar with EPIC is an entirely voluntary process and that it is not compulsory.
