The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced that voters can use 12 alternative photo identity documents besides the Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) to cast their vote in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.
The move aims to ensure that no eligible voter is denied participation due to the absence of an EPIC and to make the voting process more inclusive and accessible.
What Documents Are Allowed?
In an official notification issued on October 7, the ECI listed the following documents as valid alternatives:
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Aadhaar Card
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MGNREGA Job Card
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Bank or Post Office Passbook with photograph
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Health Insurance Smart Card
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Driving License
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PAN Card
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Indian Passport
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Pension Document with photograph
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Government Service Identity Card
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Official MP/MLA/MLC Identity Card
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Unique Disability ID (UDID) Card
The Commission said the provision is made under the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
Special Arrangements for ‘Purdanasheen’ Women
Acknowledging cultural sensitivities, the ECI has directed polling officials to make special arrangements for women who wear burqa or observe purdah, ensuring their identification is done with dignity and privacy.
Such voters will be verified by female polling officers, maintaining respect for religious and personal customs.
“Polling stations will have dedicated enclosures and lady staff to ensure privacy and respect during voter verification,” the ECI said in its note.
Political Context and Debate
The decision comes amid a charged political atmosphere in Bihar, where voter verification and deletion of names from rolls have become hot topics.
BJP’s Bihar president Dilip Jaiswal recently urged the EC to ensure “proper verification of burqa-clad women” to prevent bogus voting. He also called for deploying paramilitary forces in sensitive areas to ensure free and fair polling.
However, opposition parties, including the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), criticized the move, calling it an attempt to politicize the verification process.
RJD leader Abhay Kushwaha termed the BJP’s push for stricter ID checks “a political conspiracy,” adding that the EC has already completed a Special Revision of Electoral Rolls and distributed new EPICs.
“Identification of voters is no big issue. The BJP wants to create confusion for its political agenda,” Kushwaha alleged.
Voter Rolls and Transparency
According to the ECI, nearly 100% of registered voters in Bihar and the eight constituencies headed for by-elections have already received EPIC cards.
The poll panel also instructed Chief Electoral Officers to ensure that new voters receive their EPICs within 15 days of finalizing electoral rolls.
Meanwhile, the RJD has urged the EC to disclose details of 3.66 lakh names reportedly deleted from the final rolls and demanded assurance against “populist announcements” during the campaign period.
The EC’s move reflects an effort to balance security with accessibility a crucial challenge in India’s vast and diverse democracy. While inclusion of multiple ID options strengthens voter participation, the surrounding political debate underscores how election management often intersects with social and ideological sensitivities in states like Bihar.
