New Delhi, April 22: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has reaffirmed that any move to link Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) with Aadhaar will be carried out strictly within the framework of the Constitution and relevant legal provisions.
In a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi, the ECI held consultations with the Union Home Secretary, Secretaries of the Legislative Department and MeitY, CEO of UIDAI, and ECI’s own technical experts at Nirvachan Sadan, New Delhi.
Citing Article 326 of the Constitution, which restricts voting rights to Indian citizens, the Commission clarified that Aadhaar serves only as a tool for identity verification, not citizenship validation. Therefore, any linkage between Aadhaar and EPIC will be undertaken in accordance with Article 326, Sections 23(4), 23(5), and 23(6) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and in compliance with the Supreme Court’s directions in Writ Petition (Civil) No. 177 of 2023.
The ECI also announced that technical-level consultations between the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and ECI experts will commence shortly to operationalise the process.