Bengaluru Civic Polls To Use Ballot Papers Instead Of EVMs; 'State EC Also Has Authority,' Says Karnataka CEC
Bengaluru, Karnataka: Following continued objections raised by Congress party against the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), Karnataka Chief Election Commissioner GS Sangreshi said that the Bengaluru Municipal Corporation elections will be held using ballot papers.
The polls will be held after May 25 and it will be conducted using ballot papers, as per the clarification by Karnataka Election Commission. He pointed out that the Supreme Court has also Gsaid there is nothing wrong with using ballot papers, adding that there is a provision to use ballot paper in Greater Bengaluru Authority elections.
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Sangreshi further said that just as the Election Commission of India takes decisions independently, the State Election Commission also has the authority to do so. Therefore, the upcoming polls for 369 wards across five Bengaluru corporations will use traditional ballot papers, not EVMs. The decision was reportedly taken after a Congress-led cabinet recommendation amid public trust concerns from 2024 disputes.
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The elections, covering Bengaluru Central, North, South, East, and West, are set after May 25, 2026, to meet a Supreme Court June 30 deadline after delays since the 2020 BBMP polls. Draft electoral rolls list 88,91,411 voters, with claims open until February 3.
