In a significant development, Union Minister Of Law And Justice, Communications And Electronics & Information Technology Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday (March 18) said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre is considering Election Commission’s proposal of linking electoral roll (voter id) with Aadhaar card.
In a written reply, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the poll panel has proposed to link the electoral roll with the “Aadhaar ecosystem” with a “view to curb the menace of multiple enrolments of the same person at different places”.
He said this would require amendments to the electoral laws. “The matter is under the consideration of the government,” he said. He was asked about the current status of the Election Commission’s proposal to link Aadhaar with voter ID.
“The Election Commission of India (ECI) has proposed to link the electoral roll with the Aadhaar ecosystem with a view to curbing the menace of multiple enrolments of the same person at different places. This would require amendments in the elections laws. The matter is under the consideration of the Government,” Prasad told the Lok Sabha.
Replying to some more questions over this matter, the Union Minister informed the Lower House of Parliament that the Supreme Court is yet to Centre is yet to receive received any instructions from them regarding the issue of linking Aadhaar with Voter ID.
The poll panel has been pressing the government to amend provisions of the Representation of the People Act allowing EC to seek Aadhaar numbers of those applying to be voters and those who are already part of the electoral rolls.
According to the EC proposal sent in August 2019, the electoral law should be amended to empower electoral registration officers to seek Aadhaar number of existing voters as well as of those applying to enroll themselves in the voters” list.
In August 2015, a Supreme Court order on Aadhaar had put the brakes on Election Commission’s project to link UIDAI (Aadhaar) number with voters’ electoral data to check multiple entries in electoral rolls.
