The MK Stalin-led Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Thursday urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to consider accepting Aadhaar and family ration cards to prove an elector’s date of birth and place of residence during voter list revisions.
DMK made the suggestion during an interaction between a party delegation comprising MPs NR Elango; TM Selvaganapathy; Thanga Tamizh Selvan; KRN Rajesh Kumar; and Murasoli, and Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi as part of ECI’s consultations with political parties.
Following the meeting, Elango shared on social media that the interaction was held on the Commission’s invitation and that the party had submitted its set of suggestions. The DMK’s demand is in line with the Supreme Court’s July 10 observation when it asked the poll body to consider Aadhaar cards, voter IDs and ration cards, as acceptable proof of eligibility for inclusion in electoral rolls in its ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of the list in Bihar.
“As suggested by the Hon’ble Supreme Court Aadhar card and family ration card should be added as documents to prove the date of birth and place of residence,” Elango said on X. The suggestion comes days after the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), an ally of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), made a similar recommendation during its interaction with the poll body.
{{/usCountry}}“As suggested by the Hon’ble Supreme Court Aadhar card and family ration card should be added as documents to prove the date of birth and place of residence,” Elango said on X. The suggestion comes days after the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), an ally of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), made a similar recommendation during its interaction with the poll body.
{{/usCountry}}Apart from that, the DMK flagged four other issues before the Commission. These included urging the ECI to implement its May 1, 2025, notification allowing for deletion of names of deceased voters after verification by Booth-Level Officers (BLOs) and the Registrar of Births and Deaths, instead of relying on family members to file Form 7. The party also recommended better coordination between BLOs and Booth-Level Agents (BLAs) appointed by political parties, translation of ECI handbooks and manuals into Tamil and other official languages, and restoring the earlier system of counting postal ballots before the penultimate round of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) votes is completed.
Elango said the ECI assured the delegation that it would examine four of the five suggestions. He wrote that the Commission informed them that the handbook translation was already underway. On the suggestion regarding Aadhaar and ration cards, Elango said, “As far as suggestion no. 5, the ECI has said the matter is sub judice.”