The Congress flag.
Credit: PTI File Photo
New Delhi: With the Election Commission initiating a process to link voter ID cards with Aadhaar, the Congress on Tuesday stated that it supports constructive solutions to ensure clean voter lists but emphasized the need for "guardrails" to prevent the denial of voting rights to any eligible citizen.
The party also said the EC's statement on its intent to link Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPIC) with Aadhaar was a "clear acknowledgment" of the charge that Congress and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, have been making regarding the "suspicious and dubious" nature of electoral rolls.
In a statement, the Congress' Empowered Action Group of Leaders and Experts (EAGLE) asserted that it is crucial to ensure that no adult Indian citizen is denied the right to vote due to Aadhaar linkage.
The Congress urged the EC to consult all parties and stakeholders and provide assurances that "sufficient guardrails" are in place to protect every eligible citizen’s right to vote and safeguard voter privacy throughout this process.
"The Congress party supports constructive solutions that ensure clean voter lists, in line with Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s assertion in 1949 that ‘electoral rolls are most fundamental in a democracy and the independence of the election process is a fundamental right,’" the statement read.
The party noted that the issue of fake or duplicate voters stems from individuals having multiple voter IDs and that the EC has acknowledged this concern, which can be addressed through de-duplication using Aadhaar.
Referring to its demand regarding the Maharashtra elections, the Congress reiterated its call for the EC to make public the entire electoral photo rolls of the Maharashtra 2024 Assembly and Lok Sabha polls.
The party alleged that there was an abnormal increase in new voter registrations within just five months between the Maharashtra Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, suggesting that these additions could include fake, duplicate, or ghost voters.
Rahul Gandhi posted on X: "Now that the EC has acknowledged the problem, I reiterate my earlier demand that it should also address the issue of additions and deletions, starting by publicly sharing the entire electoral photo rolls of the Maharashtra 2024 Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha elections."
"While Aadhaar may help address duplicate voter ID numbers, the poorest and most marginalized are more likely to face difficulties in the linking process. The EC must ensure that no Indian is deprived of their vote and must address privacy concerns," he added.