India, March 26 -- Voters may be allowed to opt out of linking Aadhaar with the Elector Photo Identification Cards (EPIC) or voter IDs, provided they explain the reasons for it, including possibly by appearing before poll officials, sparking concerns.

The Indian Express (IE) on Wednesday last reported that the linking will remain voluntary, but voters opting out will have to explain the reasons for it. On Wednesday, the IE reported that voters declining to share Aadhaar "may" have to appear before the Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) "to show cause for not providing this information".

The Election Commission of India (ECI) is in technical consultations with the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), which issues the uni...