A schoolteacher from South Dinajpur has been surprised to know that he shares the number of his EPIC (Electors Photo Identity Card) with a resident of Ahmedabad in Gujarat.

“A few days ago, I was checking my EPIC, Aadhaar and some other documents online to confirm that the details are correct,” said Shahin Alam, a resident of Ratanpur village near Gangarampur.

“When I entered my EPIC number, I found that one Ayub Khan Pathan has a voter identity card with the same number. He is a voter of Ahmedabad. I am worried and have approached the local block administration,” he added.

Addressing the extended state conference of the Trinamool Congress in Calcutta on Thursday, chief minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that the BJP had engaged private agencies to include the names of people from outside Bengal in the voter list of
the state.

“They are trying to manipulate the voter list so that people from outside could come and vote here. This is how they (BJP) are trying to secure Bengal,” Mamata said.

She also took out a wad of sheets and read out the name of Taslim Mia, a resident of Nagan, Gangarampur.

“An EPIC has been issued in the name of a resident of Ahmedabad which bears the same EPIC number of Taslim Mia,” Mamata said.

Mia, a government employee in Malda, is perturbed over the issue.

“It has recently come to my notice that an EPIC, bearing the same number as my EPIC, has been issued in the name of one Jignesh Makvana, who is a voter at a booth in Ahmedabad. I have never been to that city and have never applied for any EPIC. I have asked the block officials to look into the issue,” said Taslim.

Along with Gangarampur in South Dinajpur, Mamata also referred to similar instances in the Murshidabad district.

Sources in the administration said an EPIC number was usually unique for each voter. “It is an alphanumeric number. Even if the numeric portion matches, there is hardly any chance that the alphabetical sequence will match,” said a source.

Senior officials of the South Dinajpur district administration said they were aware of the issue. “We have sent all details to the Election Commission, seeking necessary instructions,” said Bijin Krishna, the district magistrate.