EC mandates Aadhaar-linked phone for online voter deletion after Rahul’s ‘Aland’ fraud allegation
New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (EC) has introduced a mandatory Aadhaar-linked phone verification system for those seeking to register, delete, or correct voter details online. The move comes less than a week after Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi alleged large-scale misuse of online voter deletion forms in Karnataka’s Aland constituency ahead of the 2023 Assembly elections.
According to an Indian Express exclusive report, the EC has rolled out a new “e-sign” feature on its ECINet portal and app. Applicants filling Form 6 (new registration), Form 7 (deletion or objection), or Form 8 (correction of entries) will now be redirected to an external e-sign portal run by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC). There, they must authenticate their identity through Aadhaar-based OTP verification, sent only to the Aadhaar-linked mobile number.
This change significantly tightens the earlier system, where applications could be filed by merely linking a mobile number to an existing voter ID, without verifying ownership. Officials say the new process reduces the chances of misuse similar to what was alleged in Aland, where nearly 6,000 deletion applications were submitted using unrelated phone numbers.
In February 2023, the EC had verified those applications and found only 24 to be valid, while the remaining 5,994 voters were still residing at the same addresses. The Commission later filed an FIR over the attempted fraud.
Responding to Gandhi’s recent allegations, the poll panel maintained that “no deletion of any vote can be done online by any member of the public” and clarified that every deletion request requires inquiry by Booth Level Officers and Electoral Registration Officers, as well as a hearing for the affected person.
The ECINet, launched earlier this year to unify around 40 older applications including ERONet, now serves as the single digital platform for both voters and election officials.
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Sooryavanshi's century in vain as SRH beat RR by 5 wickets
Jaipur (PTI): Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's century went in vain as Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Rajasthan Royals by five wickets in their IPL match here on Saturday.
Sooryavanshi hammered his second hundred in the IPL — a 37-ball 103 — as Rajasthan Royals put on board a strong 228 for six after they were put in to bat first.
Sooryavanshi got plenty of support from Dhruv Jurel, who made a 35-ball 51 and, helped the teenager milk 112 runs for the second wicket. In the death overs, Donovan Ferreira (33) played some big shots as RR went past the 200-run mark.
But, SRH chased down the target of 229 with nine balls to spare, with Ishan Kishan top-scoring with a 74 off 31 balls. Abhishek Sharma chipped in with 57 off 29 deliveries as SRH reached 229 for 5 in 18.3 overs.
Brief Scores:
Rajasthan Royals: 228/6 in 20 overs (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 103, Dhruv Jurel 51; Pat Cummins 1/27, Eshan Malinga 2/38).
Sunrisers Hydearabad: 229 for 5 in 18.3 overs (Ishan Kishan 74, Abhishek Sharma 57; Jofra Archer 2/34, Brijesh Sharma 2/44).
