Congress Claims ECI's Move to Link Voter IDs with Aadhaar Reflects Doubts on Voter Rolls
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Synopsis
On March 18, 2023, the Election Commission of India announced plans to link voter IDs with Aadhaar numbers for those who voluntarily comply. Congress responded, interpreting this as an acknowledgment of their concerns regarding questionable voter lists, asserting the need for safeguards to protect voter rights.
Key Takeaways
- ECI plans to link voter IDs with Aadhaar.
- Congress interprets this as an admission of suspect voter lists.
- EAGLE demands transparency in voter rolls.
- Concerns raised about duplicate voter IDs.
- Importance placed on safeguarding voting rights.
New Delhi, March 18 (NationPress) The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced on Tuesday that it plans to link Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPIC), commonly known as voter IDs, with the Aadhaar numbers of individuals who voluntarily provide them.
In response to the ECI’s declaration, Congress stated, “By acknowledging the Congress party’s allegations regarding questionable voter lists, the Election Commission aims to rectify this issue through Aadhaar.” “The Congress party welcomes a constructive approach with safeguards to ensure no one is deprived of their right to vote,” said the party’s eight-member Empowered Action Group of Leaders and Experts (EAGLE) in a statement. This group was established by the Congress to maintain vigilant oversight of elections in India and to ensure the ECI preserves the integrity of the electoral system.
The EAGLE further remarked that the ECI’s decision to link EPIC voter ID numbers with Aadhaar numbers is a “clear acknowledgment of the claims made by the Congress party and the Leader of Opposition Shri Rahul Gandhi regarding the suspicious and dubious nature of our voter lists, as evidenced in the recent Maharashtra 2024 Vidhan Sabha elections.”
“We continue to demand that the Election Commission publicly disclose the entire electoral photo rolls for the Maharashtra 2024 Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha elections. The primary allegation from the Congress party was that there was an abnormal increase in newly registered voters within just five months between the Maharashtra Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha elections, suggesting that these could be fake, duplicate, or ghost voters,” stated the Congress’ EAGLE.
It further asserted that the issue of fake or duplicate voters arises when one individual possesses multiple voter IDs. “The Election Commission has recognized this issue of ‘one person holding multiple voter IDs’ raised by the Congress party, which can be resolved through de-duplication using Aadhaar,” it added.
The Congress party advocates for constructive solutions that ensure clean voter lists, consistent with Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s assertion in 1949 that ‘electoral rolls are fundamental in a democracy, and the independence of the electoral process is a fundamental right’,” the statement concluded.
Additionally, the party emphasized that it is crucial that no adult Indian citizen is denied their right to vote due to Aadhaar linkage. “The Congress party urges the Election Commission to engage with all political parties and stakeholders to guarantee that adequate safeguards are in place to prevent any eligible citizen from being denied their voting rights, ensuring that the privacy of every single voter is not compromised throughout this process,” the statement stressed.
