Voter List Scandal: EC Finally Acknowledges Anomalies
There have been an increasing number of instances where opposition leaders have expressed doubts over the integrity of the voter list. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its allies, who have been on a winning streak, dismissed these concerns as mere sour grapes.
The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, recently questioned the addition of approximately 48.8 lakh voters between the April 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the November 2024 Assembly polls in Maharashtra.
This number was significantly higher than the additions made in the previous five years.
The Election Commission did not dispute the figures but claimed that 26.4 lakh of these additions were new and young voters in the 18-29 age group. However, many found this explanation unsatisfactory.
Just before the Delhi elections, former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal alleged voter list tampering. He claimed that over 5,000 voter names were deleted, and 7,500 “fake names” were added within just 15 days in the New Delhi constituency.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also recently accused the BJP of registering fake voters in electoral rolls with the help of the Election Commission. She cited several instances where different voters had the same Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) number. She claimed that the BJP had used this strategy to win elections in Delhi and Maharashtra by manipulating the electoral rolls.
Earlier this month, the Election Commission finally acknowledged a critical flaw in the electoral system: voter identification numbers are not unique nationwide and can be duplicated across states. It stated that the duplication stemmed from a “decentralized and manual mechanism,” where different states had historically used “identical alphanumeric series” before the electoral roll database was migrated to a new platform.
The Commission attempted to assure that voters can only cast their ballots at designated polling stations, regardless of EPIC duplication. However, it failed to explain how the system prevents individuals from registering and voting in multiple locations, especially when general elections are conducted in multiple phases over several weeks.
States with large migratory populations, such as Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Odisha, could be more affected by duplicate voting. Similarly, states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Punjab, where migrants may have registered themselves as voters, could also face challenges.
The Commission’s admission confirmed suspicions that the country’s electoral system lacks a watertight mechanism to prevent multiple voter registrations across state boundaries—or even within the same state in different constituencies.
In this context, the Election Commission’s decision to link Aadhaar cards with voter identity cards is a welcome move. In a press release, it announced the initiation of decisive action to address this contentious issue. It stated that technical consultations would soon begin to ensure a legal and smooth process for linking Aadhaar cards with voter identity cards.
This integration can significantly enhance electoral integrity. One major advantage is that Aadhaar’s biometric verification system can help identify and eliminate duplicate registrations, preventing individuals from voting multiple times in different constituencies.
This measure is particularly effective in preventing impersonation voting, where ballots are cast on behalf of deceased, absent, or fictitious voters. With Aadhaar integration, the verification process becomes more robust, ensuring that only legitimate voters can cast their ballots.
Another benefit is that Aadhaar cards are issued from childhood, well before an individual reaches voting age, creating a practical foundation for voter verification without imposing new documentation requirements on citizens.
However, concerns have been raised regarding privacy and the potential misuse of data. These concerns must be addressed, and adequate safeguards should be put in place.
There may also be technical challenges, as the current voter registration form makes linking Aadhaar optional. Voters can opt out by providing an explanation that they do not have an Aadhaar card. The question now is whether refusal to provide an Aadhaar card could disqualify a person from voter registration. This is a contentious issue that needs careful examination.
This article was also published in Punjab Today News and can be read here.
