Aadhaar Card alone insufficient for voter list revision; BLOs ordered to seek proof of citizenship

Voters in Delhi who submitted only an Aadhaar card as proof after receiving 'no mapping' notices during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls have now come under scrutiny again. According to a report by 'The Hindu', Booth Level Officers (BLOs) across various constituencies in the national capital have been instructed to collect additional documents from these voters to prove their citizenship.

Some BLOs told 'The Hindu' that they had already submitted field verification reports and indemnity bonds confirming that the voters are eligible and have resided at the given addresses for years. Despite this, Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) have directed them to revisit the voters and demand documents that can prove they are not 'Bangladeshis' or 'Rohingyas'.

This new scrutiny comes at a time when data shared last week by the Delhi Chief Electoral Officer's (CEO) office indicated that over 94% of the 33.1 lakh cases notified in the draft electoral roll were approved for the final list. 'The Hindu' noted that voters who provided only an Aadhaar card were flagged in the ERO and Assistant ERO (AERO) system. Consequently, BLOs have been ordered to collect the necessary papers from the 11 documents prescribed by the Election Commission of India (ECI). However, the ERO possesses the authority to include a voter in the final list if they are satisfied with the BLO's field report and indemnity.

A BLO from the North-East district stated, "I have known these voters for many years; some are very elderly. They say they have no other documents, not even a bank account, but I will have to visit them again." Another BLO complained that instructions regarding the collection of documents have been changing frequently, causing confusion. They stated that initially, they were told that any available document could be used to provide a guarantee based on the verification report, and scanning and uploading any paper would clear the case. However, once they followed these instructions, the rules changed again.

This BLO further added that on Monday, their ERO called and asked how it could be confirmed that a person is not a 'Rohingya' or 'Bangladeshi' based solely on an Aadhaar card. They added that voters have lived there for years and many have never attended school. Another BLO questioned what constitutes proof of citizenship in the country. They had collected copies of Aadhaar and bank passbooks, but were now told in a meeting to demand more documents. In one instance, even a voter who presented a passport was asked to provide documents for re-verification.

On the other hand, senior officials have denied issuing any such directives. They added that no records or identification of 'illegal migrants' are being maintained in the voter list. A senior official clarified that while an Aadhaar card alone is not sufficient, the ERO can declare a voter eligible if the BLO's field report is satisfactory. An ERO stated that during the initial counting phase, instructions were given to identify foreign nationals, but those directives were subsequently changed, and no such list is currently being prepared.

The Election Commission has prescribed 11 documents, including birth certificates, educational certificates, and passports, to prove eligibility. According to a report by 'Scroll', the Supreme Court upheld the legality of this process in May but clarified that the Election Commission cannot decide whether a person is an Indian citizen or not.

Out of 97.5 lakh voters included in Delhi's draft electoral roll, 33.1 lakh were issued notices to prove their eligibility. Of these, 13.7 lakh voters were not linked to the previous Special Intensive Revision list, while the remaining 19.3 lakh cases showed 'logical discrepancies' in their forms. The Delhi Chief Electoral Officer's office stated on October 27 that 31.2 lakh out of 33.1 lakh cases have been cleared for inclusion in the final voter list.

The deadline for disposal of notices has now been extended to December 15, and the final voter list is likely to be published on December 22. According to 'Scroll', the first phase of voter list revision in Bihar was conducted in 2025. The second phase, covering 12 states and union territories, took place between late 2025 and the first half of 2026. Currently, the third phase process is underway in 19 states and union territories. Throughout this process, concerns have been expressed that genuine voters might be excluded from the list, which could impact election results.

Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a process to update electoral rolls and correct errors, aimed at bringing transparency to the election process and ensuring that only eligible citizens have the right to vote.