The Karnataka government has recommended the State Election Commission (SEC) to conduct the upcoming panchayat and local body elections, including the five city corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority, using ballot papers instead of electronic voting machines. The state cabinet has also decided to empower the SEC to prepare fresh electoral rolls, citing “discrepancies” in the existing voters' list prepared by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
The move has evoked strong criticism from the opposition BJP in the state, which has dubbed it as a step “against digitisation and transparency” and called it “ironic” for the tech capital of the country to go back to a paper-based ballot system.
The Siddaramaiah government’s push for ballot paper-based elections amid the Congress party’s nationwide campaign against “vote theft” led by the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, has triggered a debate on the credibility of both the ballot paper and the EVMs, as well as the need for a “clean-up” of the electoral rolls.
“There have been complaints from citizens over large-scale illegalities in the electoral rolls prepared by the Central Election Commission, and there are allegations of vote theft and inclusion of bogus voters. The SEC, which is an autonomous body like the ECI, had sought our permission to prepare fresh electoral rolls under Section 35 of the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, 2024. So, we have recommended the SEC to not only prepare the voters' list but also to conduct the elections using ballot papers instead of EVMs, as people have lost confidence in the EVMs,” said Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah defended the decision, stating it was based on “past experiences” (with the EVMs) and added that many countries which used EVMs had gone back to ballot-paper elections.
BJP MLA from Karkala, Sunil Kumar, said, “The Congress party’s hatred for EVMs is not new. Home Minister Dr G. Parameshwara has already recounted how the Congress used to rig votes in the ballot paper era. This move looks like a conspiracy to drag the election system back to the Stone Age and seize power through muscle power. This could also be a ploy to postpone local body elections as the Congress has sensed its defeat.”
AICC general secretary and Karnataka Congress in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala hailed the decision as a “bold” step towards strengthening democracy and restoring voters’ confidence.
“For the past several years, the reliability of EVMs has been debated owing to technical glitches in EVMs, possibilities of hacking, and confusion over results, and this has eroded voters’ trust. Our party and Rahul Gandhi have taken a clear stance on the EVM controversy and consistently advocated for the restoration of the ballot paper system. Unlike votes expressed through EVMs, the use of ballot papers provides assurance that every vote is being counted impartially. This strengthens voters’ rights,” said Surjewala.
Welcoming the decision to prepare the voters' list under the SEC, Surjewala said, “Until now, the voter list prepared by the Election Commission of India (ECI) was used for local body elections. However, preparing a separate voter list by the SEC can ensure accuracy and transparency, as it can be updated periodically at the local level.
Former Chief Minister and Haveri MP Basavaraj Bommai dared Siddaramaiah to resign and face elections using ballot papers. “Siddaramaiah became the CM twice after winning the EVM-based elections. But he is now questioning the credibility of the EVMs. In fact, he had lost the Koppal election held using ballot paper. It is highly ironic that he wants ballot paper-based polls. He is only doing it to please Rahul Gandhi,” said Bommai, adding that the SEC had no authority to respond to the state government’s plea.
“The SEC responding to such a request is illegal, as the Central Election Commission must give clear directions to the state body,” added Bommai.
Meanwhile, the State Election Commissioner, G.S. Sangreshi, has clarified that the existing law allows for conducting ballot paper-based polls.
“We are prepared to switch to ballot papers for local body polls. The Supreme Court has directed the state government to complete the delimitation exercise in the five corporations under GBA by November 1 and fix the ward-wise reservations by November 30, and the government is working towards it. The SEC is a constitutional body and holds the same powers as the ECI. So, we can hold the local body polls using ballot paper without consulting the ECI. We will also prepare the electoral rolls in a transparent manner,” said Sangreshi, though he admitted that the process was time-consuming and would also require additional funds, human resources, and certain amendments to the GBG Act to allow revision of electoral rolls.
He also clarified that rural voters would not be confused, as panchayat elections are still being conducted using ballot papers, unlike the taluk and zilla panchayat, city corporation, Assembly, and Parliament polls which use the EVMs. Moreover, the SEC, as per the ECI's direction, is in the process of phasing out 25,000 EVMs that are over 15 years old.
Union Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, Prahlad Joshi, opposed the move, stating it was a step against digitisation and transparency.
“It is a huge retrograde step against progress. Karnataka, which is the technology capital of India, is now rejecting technology—an irony. This move will destroy decades of progress in the country. Returning to ballot papers will revive the same old problems: more invalid votes, booth capturing, delays in voting and counting, and massive costs. This is an environmentally harmful step by the state government,” Joshi charged.
He recalled that Karnataka had played a key role in India’s EVM revolution—with Bengaluru being among the first cities to test EVMs in the 1980s.
“In the 1990s, the state helped roll out EVMs widely. Now, the Congress government is burning down those achievements. EVMs with VVPATs are the backbone of India’s election process. They have enabled faster voting, faster counting, minimal invalid votes, and protection from booth capturing. But the Congress government is ignoring all this and is back to playing the same old games,” slammed Joshi.