‘Aadhaar can be sole ID proof for voting’

NEW DELHI: Former chief election commissioner TS Krishnamurthy on Tuesday favoured doing away with voter ID cards and said that Aadhaar can be the sole identity proof for voting.

At present, the Election Commission allows a number of documents, including passport, as identity proof in the absence of voter ID card. “Today, we are having too many cards leading to so many complications. Don’t introduce too many complications in the system. Time has come we should think of only one card, whatever be the card,” Krishnamurthy said.

“ID proof may be Aadhaar card when you are using it for all other purposes. It can be used for election also,” he said. “Aadhaar itself can be made as an election ID card. Why do you want to have election ID card as well as Aadhaar? If all voters are covered by Aadhaar, then you should eliminate voter ID card and make Aadhaar the only ID for electoral purposes,” he said. Krishnamurthy said till the entire country is covered by Aadhaar, both cards should be allowed as proof for voting. “You can set a particular cutoff date, may be 2019 or 2020 or whatever, everybody should have Aadhaar card (for voting),” he said. Krishnamurthy also said that there was no need for EC to “delink” Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat assembly polls, terming it an “avoidable controversy”. He argued that Himachal election could have been postponed by a few days to club it with Gujarat.