(ET)
The Election Commission of India is preparing to pitch for the mandatory, legally backed, linking of voter IDs with the Aadhaar number.The commission will propose amendments to the Representation of the People Act, 1951, that will require citizens to link their Electoral Photo ID Card (EPIC) with the 12-digit Aadhaar, while ensuring privacy protection, said people with knowledge of the matter. The move is aimed at improving the accuracy of the electoral rolls, they said, adding that the commission will be sending its suggestion to the law ministry shortly.
This marks a shift in the position of the commission, which had embarked on voluntary Aadhaar linking in 2015 until court cases stalled the process over privacy concerns. By that time it had covered nearly 380 million voters. India currently has more than 750 million registered voters.
