In a landmark move to strengthen electoral integrity, the Union Home Ministry has cleared the Election Commission’s (EC) decision to link Voter ID cards with Aadhaar, effectively tackling bogus voting. Predictably, the Congress-led Opposition, which has long accused the BJP of electoral fraud, is now scrambling to oppose the very reform it once demanded—only to reluctantly welcome it later. This blatant hypocrisy exposes the Opposition’s real agenda: blaming electoral losses on the system rather than introspecting on its failures. For years, Congress and its allies have alleged ‘fake voter enrolment’ by the BJP. After failing to discredit electronic voting machines (EVMs), they latched onto ‘bogus voter IDs’—a convenient narrative after their crushing defeat in the Maharashtra Assembly elections. Ironically, their claim of a 35-lakh voter surge in Maharashtra was debunked when it was revealed that Congress itself benefited from increased registrations. The truth is, voter enrolment is primarily managed by state governments, not the Centre. Meanwhile, Aadhaar, already linked to several essential services, operates transparently at a national level. With 65 crore voters voluntarily linking their Aadhaar to their Voter ID, this move isn’t reckless—it’s necessary for fair elections. The Opposition’s selective outrage over privacy concerns rings hollow, given that the Supreme Court has upheld Aadhaar’s validity for government services while emphasizing safeguards.
If Congress truly cared about electoral integrity, it would support this initiative as a solution to the very problem it claims to fight—duplicate and fraudulent voter registrations. Instead, its response reeks of desperation. The EC’s three-month deadline to eliminate duplicate voter IDs, coupled with consultations with UIDAI and experts, underscores its commitment to cleaner elections. Yet, Congress appears more interested in preserving loopholes than strengthening democracy. Additionally, the EC’s collaboration with the Home Ministry to address identity concerns in border districts—especially in West Bengal, Assam, and the Northeast—should reassure any genuine advocate of electoral fairness. Under Article 326 of the Constitution, voting rights are reserved for Indian citizens, and Aadhaar serves as a reliable verification tool without conferring automatic citizenship. Congress initially claimed that the EC’s move was prompted by its complaints about electoral roll mismatches in Maharashtra. Now, it warns that no eligible voter should be denied the right to vote while also raising concerns over privacy breaches. So, is Congress welcoming the reform or subtly opposing it? One must wait and see how far it chooses to expose its own hypocrisy.