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EC Introduces “Clean voter lists or the choice of Aadhaar linkage”
Context: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has revived efforts to link Voter ID (EPIC) with Aadhaar, ostensibly to eliminate duplicate and fake entries in the electoral rolls. This comes in the wake of irregularities detected in Maharashtra (2024), Bengal, and other states including the same EPIC numbers being issued to multiple voters and the same individuals having multiple voter IDs across states.
Key Arguments in Favor of Linking Aadhaar
- De-duplication of Electoral Rolls:
- Aadhaar’s biometric base can help eliminate cases of multiple Voter IDs held by the same person.
- It can also detect fake or duplicate EPICs, especially useful in urban areas with high mobility.
- Curbing Multiple Voting: Linking Aadhaar could prevent impersonation and repeated voting, especially by exploiting the current inking process which can be bypassed.
- Data Standardisation: Aadhaar could help ensure cleaner, standardised data formats for EPICs and simplify the verification process.
Challenges and Concerns
- Legal Conundrum:
- As per Supreme Court rulings and the Aadhaar Act, Aadhaar cannot be made mandatory for voting.
Constitutional and Ethical View
- B.R. Ambedkar’s warning in the Constituent Assembly — “Sanctity of voter lists is the foundation of democracy” — is invoked to highlight the importance of accurate but inclusive electoral rolls.
- The move risks violating the right to vote, a fundamental right in India, by prioritising technical fixes over democratic inclusion.
- Yet, full de-duplication using Aadhaar requires 100% linkage, creating a paradox.
- Risk to Voting Rights:
- Past experiences in Telangana (2018) and Andhra Pradesh showed large-scale deletion of names from rolls post-linkage.
- People with limited literacy, digital access, or migration status may lose voting rights inadvertently.Privacy and Surveillance Concerns:
- Aadhaar has been linked to data breaches and fake enrollments.
- Linking it to EPIC could centralise and expose sensitive voter information, enabling political profiling and surveillance.
- Administrative Overreach: Proposal for voters to “show cause” before EROs if they decline to link Aadhaar creates a chilling effect and indirectly compels participation.
- It undermines the decentralised electoral roll management mandated under law.
- Citizenship vs. Identity: Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship. Linking it to EPIC doesn’t ensure only Indian citizens vote — the core goal of a clean electoral roll.
