Bihar's Voter List Clean-Up: The Aadhaar Link Controversy and Supreme Court's Stance

In a significant move aimed at purifying Bihar's electoral rolls, the Election Commission of India (ECI) initiated a drive to link Aadhaar numbers with existing voter ID entries. However, this process, intended to streamline voter data and and prevent duplication, quickly came under the scanner due to an existing Supreme Court directive from 2015 that explicitly prohibited making Aadhaar mandatory for services.

The core of the issue revolved around ensuring that while the ECI pursued its goal of a clean voter list, it did not infringe upon the fundamental right to privacy, as established by various Supreme Court judgments.

Following the initial rollout, and in adherence to the judiciary's stance, the ECI promptly clarified its position: the linking of Aadhaar with voter ID is, and will remain, entirely voluntary. This crucial clarification was communicated through the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Bihar to all district election officers and electoral registration officers.

This directive underlined that no voter's name would be deleted from the electoral roll solely on the grounds of their inability or unwillingness to submit their Aadhaar number.

The emphasis was squarely on facilitating the process for those who wished to link their Aadhaar voluntarily, without imposing any compulsion or penalty for non-submission. Booth Level Officers (BLOs) were tasked with collecting Aadhaar details from electors, using a newly introduced Form 6B. However, they were strictly instructed not to demand Aadhaar from anyone who chose not to provide it.

The ECI's initiative stemmed from legal amendments that allowed for the collection of Aadhaar numbers for voter identification and authentication.

The aim was noble: to prevent duplicate entries and ensure the integrity of the electoral process. Yet, the legal framework and constitutional safeguards, particularly the Supreme Court's landmark Puttaswamy judgment in 2017, firmly entrenched privacy as a fundamental right, making any mandatory linking of Aadhaar for non-essential services a contentious issue.

Therefore, the ECI's subsequent clarifications and the CEO Bihar's instructions served as a vital reassertion of citizens' rights.

It ensured that while efforts to cleanse the voter list continued, they did so within the bounds of legal precedent and respect for individual privacy. Voters in Bihar were informed that they could provide their Aadhaar details through Form 6B, either online or offline, to their respective BLOs or EROs.

Crucially, the process was designed with the understanding that the electoral franchise is paramount and cannot be denied or diluted based on Aadhaar submission.

This episode highlights the delicate balance between administrative efficiency and individual rights. The Election Commission's adherence to the Supreme Court's directives ensures that the drive for electoral purity proceeds in a manner that upholds the democratic values of voluntariness, privacy, and the unhindered exercise of the right to vote.