Aadhar - Voter id linking is a step towards transparent elections

The newly appointed Chief Election Commissioner of India, Gyanesh Kumar, has issued instructions to all state election officers in a consultation meeting held in Delhi last week, drawing nationwide attention. He specifically emphasised that all necessary steps should be taken to verify the identities of voters. He also advised that efforts should be made to link phone numbers and Aadhaar numbers with voter ID cards. His directives have been sent to all states and union territories in the form of a circular.

For years, there has been uncertainty surrounding the linking of Aadhaar numbers with voter ID cards. This initiative began in 2015 under the leadership of then-Chief Election Commissioner HS Brahma. However, the process was halted after the Supreme Court intervened. Despite this, the Election Commission of India continued to urge the central government to make Aadhaar-voter ID linking mandatory.

In 2021, a bill was passed in Parliament to facilitate this process, but linking Aadhaar remained optional. At the same time, many voters voluntarily linked their Aadhaar numbers with their voter ID cards. The Election Commission has consistently stated in Supreme Court cases that the linking of Aadhaar is not mandatory.
Now, with the new Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar emphasizing this issue, the possibility of mandatory Aadhaar-voter ID linking has increased. This move has also raised hopes of preventing fraudulent voting.

Aadhaar linking has already been made mandatory for essential government services such as banking, PAN cards for income tax, and ration cards. Given this, the central government and the Election Commission should proactively address any legal hurdles and implement Aadhaar-voter ID linking.
If Aadhaar can be linked to other government services, why delay linking it to voter ID cards? This step can only strengthen the democratic process and ensure fair elections.