The Congress party has escalated its criticism of the Election Commission of India (ECI), accusing the body of targeting party leader Pawan Khera after he posed questions about the handling of voter identification procedures in Bihar. Senior Congress leader and advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi alleged that the Commission’s resistance to allowing Aadhaar as proof of identity in Bihar’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise demonstrates not just negligence but also selective bias.

The core of the controversy

The issue stems from the ECI’s voter list revision exercise in Bihar, where the Commission reportedly resisted accepting Aadhaar as proof of identity, despite repeated suggestions from the Supreme Court of India. Congress claims that the refusal to incorporate Aadhaar as an identification document is a deliberate attempt to complicate the verification process and leaves room for irregularities in the state’s electoral rolls.

Party leaders argue that Pawan Khera, who questioned this inconsistency, has been singled out and unfairly targeted by the Commission. According to Singhvi, the incident reflects a broader pattern of “defensiveness” and “bias” in how the ECI handles political criticism.

Singhvi’s remarks

At a press briefing, Singhvi said:

• The Election Commission’s resistance to Aadhaar in Bihar’s voter verification drive goes against the Supreme Court’s recommendations.

• The Commission has shown inconsistent behavior, allowing Aadhaar linkage in other states while blocking it in Bihar.

• By directing its ire at Pawan Khera, the ECI is engaging in partisan actions that undermine public trust.

He added that electoral institutions must rise above political differences and act impartially, but current actions of the ECI cast doubts on that impartiality.

Aadhaar and voter ID controversy

The debate over linking Aadhaar with voter ID cards has been ongoing for years. While Aadhaar is seen as a reliable biometric-based identity system, critics argue that it raises privacy concerns and could potentially lead to exclusion errors.

The Supreme Court, however, has recommended that Aadhaar be used as one of the acceptable proofs of identity in electoral exercises, primarily to minimize the chances of bogus or duplicate entries in voter rolls. Congress points out that Bihar is a politically sensitive state where accurate voter identification is critical, and the ECI’s refusal to allow Aadhaar weakens transparency.

Political implications

The Congress party is framing the issue as a question of institutional neutrality, suggesting that the Commission’s targeting of Khera is an attempt to suppress dissenting voices that raise genuine questions about the credibility of elections.

Party insiders note that Bihar has long been a battleground state, and any hint of voter list manipulation could have significant electoral consequences. By not allowing Aadhaar-based verification, the Commission, in their view, risks creating a system vulnerable to duplicate or fake entries, which could tilt the balance in close contests.

Broader concerns about ECI impartiality

This is not the first time the Election Commission’s neutrality has been questioned. Over the past decade, opposition parties have accused the ECI of favoring the ruling establishment through selective enforcement of rules, delayed actions on complaints, and now, through resistance to measures that could strengthen voter roll integrity.

The Pawan Khera episode adds to this perception, with Congress asserting that instead of addressing substantive questions on electoral transparency, the ECI has chosen to make a personal example of a political critic.

Reactions from other parties and experts

While Congress has taken the lead in attacking the ECI on this issue, leaders from other opposition parties have privately acknowledged that there is a need to standardize voter verification processes across states. Some regional parties, however, remain cautious about Aadhaar linkage, citing fears of marginalized communities being disenfranchised if Aadhaar errors persist.

Election experts suggest that the Commission’s refusal in Bihar could have been influenced by logistical challenges, local political sensitivities, or concerns over data security, but agree that its communication on the matter has been poor. By failing to provide clarity, the ECI has created room for allegations of bias.

Civil society response

Civil rights groups and electoral reform activists remain divided on the Aadhaar question. While some welcome Aadhaar integration as a way to clean up electoral rolls, others highlight risks of data misuse and privacy violations.

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