Switch from EVM to ballot paper for local body polls: Karnataka Cabinet to State Election Commission
The Karnataka Cabinet has also recommended empowering the SEC to prepare and revise voter lists for various local bodies rather than relying on electoral rolls prepared for Assembly polls.
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"There is an erosion of confidence and credibility of EVMs," Patil said, citing the “vote chori” allegations made by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. (file photo)
Amid allegations of electoral roll manipulation raised by the ruling Congress, the Karnataka Cabinet on Thursday decided to recommend that the State Election Commission (SEC) use the ballot paper for local body elections, with Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil saying the decision would “ensure that the trust remains in the (electoral) system”.
“All upcoming elections for local bodies will have ballot papers rather than electronic voting machines (EVMs),” Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil told a news conference after a Cabinet meeting, adding that the SEC’s laws and rules would be amended to this effect within the next 15 days.
“There is an erosion of confidence and credibility of EVMs,” Patil said, citing the “vote chori” allegations made by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
Patil said the reason for the Cabinet decision was the multiple complaints raised recently regarding flaws in the electoral rolls and the inclusion of many voters not residing in an area in Bengaluru.
Gandhi has alleged that over one lakh votes were manipulated in the Mahadevapura Assembly segment under the Bangalore Central constituency during the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. He also cited instances of duplicate voters, fake or invalid addresses used to register voters, and bulk registrations at a single address, among other irregularities.
The Cabinet has also recommended empowering the SEC to prepare and revise voter lists for various local bodies—such as zilla, taluk, and gram panchayats as well as municipal corporations, city municipal councils, town municipal councils, and town panchayats—rather than relying on electoral rolls prepared for Assembly polls.
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