Court says proposal to be examined for future elections
The Supreme Court of India on Monday issued a notice to the Election Commission of India, the Centre and state governments on a plea seeking the introduction of fingerprint and iris-based biometric systems at polling stations to prevent duplicate voting.
The petition was filed by BJP leader and advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said the proposal requires examination for future elections but clarified that it would not apply to the ongoing assembly polls.
“Whether such a recourse deserves to be followed before the next parliamentary election and/or state assembly elections needs to be examined. Issue notice,” the court observed, according to PTI.
Focus on future elections
During the hearing, the bench initially suggested that the petitioner approach the Election Commission. However, it agreed to consider the matter after being informed that the plea does not seek changes to the ongoing elections.
The court noted that the feasibility and implications of introducing biometric verification in elections would need careful evaluation before implementation in future polls.
Context of ongoing elections
Assembly elections are currently underway in several states and a union territory:
- Assam, Kerala and Puducherry voted on April 9
- Tamil Nadu is scheduled to vote on April 23
- West Bengal will vote in phases on April 23 and 29
Counting of votes is scheduled for May 4.
Petitioner’s argument
In the plea, Upadhyay argued that electoral malpractices such as impersonation, duplicate voting, bribery and undue influence continue to affect the integrity of the voting process, and that biometric verification could help address these concerns.
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