Should voter IDs be linked with Aadhaar?

• The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have accused each other of manipulating electoral rolls ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections, reigniting the debate on linking voter IDs with Aadhaar numbers.

Challenges and Concerns

• The Supreme Court was informed in September 2023 that submitting Aadhaar numbers is not mandatory.
• There are concerns that errors in the Aadhaar database could lead to incorrect voter registrations or deletion of entries.
• Aadhaar is only proof of residence, not citizenship, so it may not help in identifying non-citizens on the electoral roll.
• There are privacy concerns as the electoral roll is shared with political parties, which could lead to misuse of Aadhaar information.

Pros and Cons

• Pros: Linking Aadhaar with EPIC helps remove duplicate voter entries. Over 650 million Aadhaar numbers have already been uploaded.
• Cons: Errors in the Aadhaar database can affect voter registration, and Aadhaar does not prove citizenship, limiting its effectiveness in removing non-citizens.

Way Forward

• Voting is a constitutional right, and public trust in the electoral process is crucial.
• There should be awareness about the benefits of linking Aadhaar to clean up the electoral roll.
• Voter registration forms should be updated to reflect that Aadhaar submission is voluntary, as per the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision.