The Election Commission of India has officially announced the linking of Voter ID with Aadhaar. In a statement, the Election Commission said that it will take steps to link the Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) with Aadhaar in accordance with the Supreme Court’s relevant rulings. This decision was made during a high-level meeting between the Election Commission of India, the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Law, the Ministry of IT, and the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
According to the Election Commission’s statement, EPIC will be linked with Aadhaar under Article 326 of the Constitution and Sections 23(4), 23(5), and 23(6) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
Voters Must Provide a Reason for Not Linking Aadhaar
According to reports from The Indian Express, the Election Commission is working with UIDAI to link voter records with the Aadhaar database. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Law will amend Form 6B to clarify that providing Aadhaar details remains voluntary. However, voters who choose not to provide their Aadhaar details will be required to specify the reason.
How to Link Voter ID with Aadhaar?
During the hour-long discussion, the Election Commission and government officials debated the pros and cons of linking voter databases with Aadhaar, as well as the legal aspects of the process. As of 2023, the Election Commission has voluntarily collected Aadhaar details from over 66 crore voters. However, these databases have not yet been linked. Moving forward, the Election Commission will work with UIDAI to determine how to integrate the databases for voters who have voluntarily shared their Aadhaar details.
Sections 23(4), 23(5), and 23(6) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, outline the election registration officer’s authority to request Aadhaar for voter identity verification. These sections also clarify that submitting Aadhaar remains voluntary and that failing to provide Aadhaar details will not result in the removal of a voter from the electoral roll.
Also Read- Pan Cards to Be Linked to Aadhaar Cards: Mandatory for All.
What Changes Will Be Made to Form 6B?
It was also decided in the meeting that Form 6B (used for collecting voters’ Aadhaar numbers) will be amended through a gazette notification by the Ministry of Law. This amendment aims to remove any confusion regarding whether Aadhaar submission is voluntary.
Currently, Form 6B does not provide an explicit option for voters to refuse to provide Aadhaar. The form offers only two choices: either submit the Aadhaar number or declare that they cannot provide it because they do not have one. According to The Indian Express, this form will be modified to remove these options, but voters will still need to clarify why they are not providing their 12-digit Aadhaar number.
This change aligns with the Election Commission’s commitment, made before the Supreme Court in September 2023 (in the case of G. Niranjan vs. Election Commission of India), to introduce appropriate explanatory modifications in the forms. The goal is to ensure that voters understand that providing Aadhaar details is optional.
Controversy Over Duplicate Voter Cards
These decisions come in the wake of a controversy surrounding duplicate voter cards. The opposition party, Trinamool Congress (TMC), has raised concerns about multiple voters receiving identical EPIC numbers across different states. TMC has accused the Election Commission of manipulating voter lists to benefit the ruling BJP. During a recent Lok Sabha session, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also highlighted this issue.
The controversy escalated when TMC leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee addressed the issue during a party rally in Kolkata. She alleged that the BJP was working with the Election Commission to tamper with voter lists.
In response, the Election Commission acknowledged the problem, explaining that some state Chief Electoral Officers had incorrectly used alphanumeric sequences while generating EPIC numbers. To resolve this issue, the Election Commission has committed to issuing replacement EPIC numbers to affected voters within three months.