The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Centre, the Election Commission of India, and all states regarding a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking the implementation of fingerprint and iris-based biometric identification of voters at polling stations. The notice was issued by a Bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi in response to a petition filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay. The Court clarified that the relief sought in the petition cannot be considered for the upcoming Assembly elections in certain states.
The Bench mentioned that implementing such a mechanism would require significant rule changes and impose a substantial financial burden. The PIL argues that using fingerprint and iris biometric authentication at polling booths could help prevent electoral malpractices like bribery, personation, and duplicate voting. Despite efforts by the Election Commission, instances of electoral fraud persist, affecting public trust in the electoral process.
The petitioner believes that adopting biometric verification at polling booths would ensure that only legitimate and registered voters can cast their votes, reinforcing the principle of “one citizen, one vote.” The plea suggests that the Election Commission has the authority under Article 324 of the Constitution to introduce biometric authentication measures for fair elections. Upadhyay stated that after receiving no response to his request for implementation, he filed the PIL.
