The Election Commission of India directed officials to link Aadhaar numbers with voter lists. This move aims to improve voter identification and prevent duplication. The decision comes amid a debate over the accuracy of electoral rolls. Authorities believe Aadhaar linking will strengthen the election process.
New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) instructed officials to make “all attempts” to link Aadhaar numbers with electoral roll data, as revealed in a note circulated to Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) across all states and Union Territories.
This directive was part of a document titled “Opening Remarks of CEC (Chief Election Commissioner) at the CEOs Conference on March 4,” which was later disseminated to all CEOs for further distribution to district election officers.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar was quoted in the note, stating,
“To ensure proper identification of electors and facilitate necessary communication, all attempts should be made to link with Aadhaar and mobile numbers.”
He characterized elections as the first step toward national service and emphasized that the ECI would “leave no stone unturned” in fulfilling its constitutional responsibilities. Kumar also instructed officials to ensure regular updates of the electoral roll in “close coordination with birth and death registration authorities.”
Additionally, he directed that during “door-to-door surveys,” all booth-level officers must ensure that Indian citizens above 18 years of age are “invariably enrolled as electors” in accordance with the Constitution.
However, this directive seems to contradict the ECI’s earlier stance that linking Aadhaar is not mandatory. The Commission previously informed the Supreme Court regarding a case related to a 2022 amendment to the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960. Law Minister Kiren Rijiju had earlier told Parliament that, under Rule 26B of the Registration of Electors (Amendment) Rules, 2022, an individual listed in the electoral roll “may intimate his Aadhaar number” to the registration officer using Form 6B.
Kiren Rijiju emphasized that providing Aadhaar was optional, and that electors without an Aadhaar number could “provide other optional documents as specified in Form 6B.” He noted that the government had set April 1, 2023, as the deadline by which individuals included in the electoral roll may share their Aadhaar numbers.
This matter subsequently discussed by a Supreme Court bench led by then Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, in response to a petition from G. Niranjan, a senior Congress leader from Telangana, who sought amendments to the ECI’s application form.
During the hearings, the ECI reiterated that Aadhaar was not mandatory and was considering “appropriate clarificatory changes” to the enrollment forms to reflect this stance. Despite these assertions, the forms have remained unchanged since the 2022 amendments were announced.
Sources familiar with the issue indicated that linking Aadhaar to the electoral roll “would pave the way for the removal of multiple Elector Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers associated with the same elector,” a concern that has reportedly bothered the ECI for some time.
The integrity of voter rolls and registration has been under scrutiny since West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress accused the ECI of voter manipulation and fraud through duplicate EPICs. The Commission denied these allegations, asserting that duplicate EPICs do not equate to voter fraud, and subsequently directed all CEOs to expedite the resolution of duplication issues.
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An ECI official, speaking on condition of anonymity, explained that there are two types of “repeat EPIC discrepancies.” The first involves “multiple electors with the same EPIC number,” which can be resolved within three months by issuing unique identifiers. However, the second category, which involves “multiple EPIC numbers issued to the same elector,” poses a greater challenge.
The official stated,
“We cannot mandatorily enforce Aadhaar to streamline the process,”
The official further elaborated on the complexities that arise when voters relocate,
“If a person temporarily shifts from one state to another, deleting the earlier EPIC number is cumbersome and politically sensitive. A form must be generated and sent from the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) of one state to the ERO of another, who must then conduct ground verification to confirm the facts.”
The official added,
“This is a time-consuming process and a politically sensitive issue,”
“If the elector appears on election day in their home state, the deletion of their name could create problems for the government.”
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Three political parties submitted memorandums to the ECI requesting transparency in cleaning up the electoral roll and eliminating duplicate EPIC numbers. Additionally, the ECI has asked all parties to “provide suggestions on any unresolved issues” at various levels by April 30.
The TMC’s memorandum highlighted the issue of duplicate EPIC numbers across states that have remained “unaddressed by the Commission for years” until raised by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
In contrast, Bengal BJP in-charge Amit Malviya stated,
“Over the last 14 years, CM Mamata Banerjee and her government have infiltrated the electoral roll with illegal Bangladeshis and Rohingyas… we have emphasized the need for an electoral roll audit.”
A BJD team from Odisha also submitted a memorandum addressing similar concerns.
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