The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday discussed pending electoral reforms, including Aadhaar linkage with the electoral roll, with the Law Ministry's Department of Legislative Affairs, an ECI statement said.
Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said that over 40 electoral reforms had been pending and that the ECI was discussing some of these proposals currently, the statement said.
The detailed discussions were attended by Mr. Arora and Election Commissioners Ashok Lavasa and Sushil Chandra and Legislative Department Secretary Narayan Raju, apart from ECI and Law Ministry officers.
Mr. Arora “thanked the Department for facilitating postal ballot facilities for PwD [persons with disabilities] and electors of above 80 years and electors belonging to essential services by the recent amendment in the Conduct of Election Rules on ECI's recommendation.”
Among the matters discussed at the meeting were having more than one qualification date every year for becoming eligible to be a voter, Aadhaar linkage with the electoral roll, making paid news and filing false affidavits electoral offences or corrupt practices, covering print media and social media intermediaries under Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act 1951 that prohibits use of cultural events for campaigning', substituting term 'wife' by 'spouse' in the Act to “facilitate electoral registration to the spouse of women service officials in the category of service voter” and amending the contribution form.
Mr. Raju informed the Commission that the department was examining these proposals, the statement said.
