EC Introduces ‘E-Sign’ Feature, Aadhaar-Linked Phone Now Mandatory for Voter Deletion Requests
The Election Commission of India (EC) has rolled out an electronic signature (e-sign) facility on its ECINet portal and mobile app. With this new feature, anyone applying for voter registration, deletion, or correction will now have to authenticate their identity through a phone number linked to Aadhaar.
The initiative comes in the wake of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegation that nearly 6,000 votes were fraudulently deleted in Karnataka’s Aland constituency using software and voter impersonation. The poll body, however, clarified that no voter’s name can be removed without prior notice and an opportunity for the individual to be heard.
How the e-sign process works
Until now, applicants could use Form 6 (for new voter registration) or Form 7 (for objecting to or deleting a voter entry) by simply linking a phone number with their Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC).
Under the new system, after filling in details, the applicant is redirected to an e-sign portal run by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC). An OTP is then sent to the Aadhaar-linked mobile number for verification. Once authenticated, the applicant is redirected back to the EC website to complete the process.
EC’s response to Aland controversy
Responding to Gandhi’s claims, the EC stated that of the 6,000 deletion applications received in Aland, only 24 were found valid after scrutiny, while the remaining 5,994 were rejected. The Commission also lodged an FIR to probe the suspicious applications.
The EC reiterated that, as per the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, no voter’s name is deleted without issuing a notice and allowing the person a chance to respond.
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