In a decisive move, the State Election Commission (SEC) announced on Monday that ballot papers will be used in the upcoming elections to the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), disregarding the BJP’s demand for Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).
The SEC’s decision comes after the release of draft electoral rolls and follows a recommendation made by the Karnataka cabinet last year, advocating for the use of ballot papers in local body polls.
GBA Special Commissioner (Elections), R Ramachandran, reported that there are nearly 89 lakh electors in the five corporations, with the final electoral rolls expected by March 16. The elections are tentatively scheduled after May 25.
Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, who is also Bengaluru Development Minister, supported the SEC’s decision, stating, “What’s wrong with that? Ballot is stronger than bullet. Let the elections happen. The important thing is that there must be voting, the rest is the SEC’s decision.” He also referenced the legislation introduced by the BJP government in 2020 that permits the use of ballot papers in elections.
State Election Commissioner GS Sangreshi explained that both EVMs and ballot papers have their merits, but the SEC opted for ballots due to its own research as an autonomous body. He stressed that there is legislation granting the SEC the authority to choose between ballot papers and EVMs.
Citing concerns regarding the time-consuming nature of ballot papers, Sangreshi countered, stating that democratic principles should not be compromised in favor of efficiency concerns. The use of ballot papers has been standard practice in nearly all local body elections.
It is worth noting that the Congress party has been vocal about its opposition to EVMs at a national level and welcomed this decision by the SEC.
