On "Valid Reasons" To Not Link Aadhaar, Voter ID, Poll Body Chief's Googly

Aadhaar-Voter ID Link: "It will be voluntary. But sufficient reason will have to be given by voters for not giving their Aadhaar numbers. The reason may include not having an Aadhaar or not having applied for one... I cannot think of any other reason," the poll body chief said.

Rules on linking Aadhaar with the electoral rolls (Voter ID) can be issued by the government soon, Chief Election Commissioner Sushil Chandra has said, adding that sharing Aadhaar details will be voluntary for voters, but those not doing so will have to give "sufficient reasons".

Mr Chandra, who demits office tomorrow evening, also said that the poll panel played a key role in intensifying the vaccination drive in the five states where assembly elections concluded in March this year to ensure that voters and those involved in election duty were safe from the coronavirus.

In an interview with Press Trust of India, he said two major electoral reforms which took place in his tenure as the Chief Election Commissioner are the provision of four dates in a year instead of one to enroll those turning 18 as voters and the linking of Aadhaar with electoral rolls to check duplicate entries in the voters' list.

"Earlier, only January 1 of every year was the cut-off date. We convinced the government that this reform is very essential and these people should be enrolled as soon as they turn 18. With this reform now, there will be four dates in a year to get these people registered when they complete 18 years of age. This reform was pending for the last 20 years," Mr Chandra said.