EPIC-Aadhaar Linking Controversy: EC Faces Privacy Concerns and Legal Hurdles

Published : Mar 19, 2025 18:07 IST - 4 MINS READ The Election Commission of India has decided to link voter ID with Aadhaar in a bid to clean up voter lists. In a carefully worded statement issued after a meeting held with top officials of the Home Ministry, the Legislative Department and the UIDAI CEO on March 18, the ECI said the “linking of EPIC with Aadhaar will be done only as per the provisions of Article 326 of the Constitution, Sections 23, 23 and 23 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and in line with the Supreme Court judgment in WP No. The commission statement has acknowledged that while Article 326 guarantees voting rights for Indian citizens, Aadhaar only establishes the identity of a person. The fact that Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship and only establishes a person’s identity and address is one of the key arguments used by critics against linking voter ID with Aadhaar. The ECI said the linking of EPIC with Aadhaar will be governed by Sections 23, 23, and 23 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, which empower the Electoral Registration Officer to request Aadhaar details for verifying a voter’s identity.