Centre to link Aadhaar with Voter IDs; this is the aim behind crucial move

NEW DELHI: The central government is reportedly preparing for a crucial move to link citizens' Voter ID cards with Aadhaar. A decision on this matter is expected to be made in a meeting discussing allegations of duplicate voter registrations across multiple states. Senior officials from the Ministries of Home Affairs and Law will participate in the meeting convened by the Election Commission of India on Tuesday.

The Chief Election Commission itself had acknowledged complaints regarding voter duplication in several states after conducting an investigation. In 2021, the central government amended the Representation of the People Act, allowing the linkage of Aadhaar with Voter ID. The government informed Parliament that Aadhaar numbers of around 660 million people had been collected, but they had not yet been linked with Voter IDs.

The Election Commission believes that linking Aadhaar with Voter ID will reduce the chances of electoral fraud. The meeting will be attended by the Home Secretary, Legislative Secretary, CEO of the Unique Identification Authority, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, and other Election Commissioners. Steps are being taken to resolve complaints within three months.