March 19, 2025: Manipur Former CM N Biren Singh has welcomed the Election Commission’s decision to link EPIC (Electors Photo Identity Card) with Aadhaar and stated that it will enhance electoral transparency and prevent malpractices.
The former CM, in a post on X, highlighted the need for the ECI’s decision and also stated that a total of 67,844 fake voters, including 24,636 from a single district, were identified and removed during the Electoral Verification Programme carried out in 2019.
He also said that while implementing this (EPIC with Aadhaar), a robust mechanism must be in place to filter out fake Aadhaar holders, as past instances have shown Aadhaar misuse for illegal voter registration.
Ensuring that only genuine Aadhaar holders are linked to voter IDs is vital to protecting electoral integrity. A thorough verification process, cross-checking government records, and on-ground scrutiny should be prioritized to eliminate fraudulent entries while safeguarding the rights of genuine voters.
