CHENNAI: The 'vote theft' bombshell dropped by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, sharing details of alleged electoral roll manipulation, didn't seem to elicit any response from the Election Commission of India (ECI) at the time of the expose. But the damning revelations seem to have affected the poll panel, as evidenced by the stringent online revision process mandated by the EC in Tamil Nadu.
One EC official said that the poll panel has made the online process for new voter inclusion more stringent in response to such charges.
Earlier, applicants could access the ECI website and submit their details in the prescribed form along with proof of residence and age. After submission, the ECI would verify the documents, and the applicant would be enrolled as a new voter.
However, Aadhaar authentication has now been made mandatory, as mentioned in Form 6, which is prescribed for name inclusion. The ECI has instructed applicants to enter their names exactly as they appear on their Aadhaar cards and to ensure that the mobile number linked to Aadhaar is available for One-Time Password (OTP) verification and e-signing of the application.
"The new procedure was introduced following the 'vote theft' allegations raised by political party leaders. The ECI has decided to verify applicants even before they submit their applications. Unless Aadhaar authentication is successful, the applicant cannot proceed with name inclusion. At present, only name corrections can be made in Aadhaar or voter identity cards," an ECI official said.
Due to mismatches between names on Aadhaar cards and voter identity cards, many applicants are now approaching special camps organised by the respective district administration.
"When I tried to apply online, my application was rejected due to spelling variations between my Aadhaar card and supporting documents. So I have to attend a special camp scheduled for January 3," said Janani, a resident of Kodambakkam.