ECI decides to move forward on linking voter ID cards with Aadhaar

New Delhi: Aiming to weed out ineligible voters, including illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, the Election Commission of India on Tuesday decided to go ahead with the linking of voter ID cards with Aadhaar cards after consultation with UIDAI experts.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with ECs Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr Vivek Joshim, held a meeting on the issue with the Union Home Secretary, Secretary Legislative Department, Secretary MeitY and CEO, UIDAI and technical experts of the ECI here on Tuesday.

“While, as per Article 326 of the Constitution of India, voting rights can only be given to a citizen of India; an Aadhaar card only establishes the identity of a person. Therefore, it was decided that the linking of EPIC with Aadhaar will be done only as per the provisions of Article 326 of the Constitution, Section 23(4), 23(5) and 23(6) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 and in line with the Supreme Court judgement in WP(Civil) No. 177/2023,” said a statement.

Accordingly, technical consultations between UIDAl and the technical experts of ECl shall begin soon, it said.

The meeting came amid allegations by Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee about the inclusion of bogus and duplicate names in voters’ lists.

At present, there is no legal binding for voter rolls to be seeded with the Aadhaar database. Voters are expected to voluntarily provide their Aadhaar number to the election officers to establish their identity.

The meeting appears to be a continuation of the ECI’s earlier invitation of suggestions from all national and state political parties to strengthen electoral processes.

The poll body set April 30 as the deadline for political parties to submit inputs regarding any unresolved issues at the level of Electoral Registration Officers (ERO), District Election Officers (DEO), or Chief Electoral Officers (CEO), as applicable.

In a statement, the ECI said it has sent individual letters to political parties seeking their feedback and has also proposed direct interactions with party presidents and senior leaders at a mutually convenient time. The initiative aims to enhance electoral practices while ensuring compliance with the established legal framework.

The move comes after a recent ECI conference, where Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar directed officials, including CEOs, DEOs, and EROs across all States and Union Territories, to hold regular engagements with political parties.

He had also instructed them to resolve suggestions received in such meetings strictly within the existing legal provisions and submit an action taken report by March 31.

Political parties are among 28 key stakeholders identified by the Commission under the Constitution and statutory framework that govern various aspects of the electoral process.

–IANS