Karnataka deputy chief minister D.K. Shivakumar on Friday defended the state cabinet’s decision to conduct all upcoming local body elections using paper ballots instead of electronic voting machines (EVMs), dismissing the opposition BJP’s criticism as misplaced.
“This is the Karnataka government’s decision, why is the BJP worried?” Shivakumar told reporters. “The government has the authority to conduct local body elections; it is provided for in the law.”
He pointed out that the same provision existed when the BJP was in power.
“Even during their tenure, the same law existed. The law says elections can be held either by ballot paper or EVMs. Our government has decided to use ballot papers for the local body elections,” he said.
Shivakumar said the cabinet’s move was limited in scope.
“We have investigated everything related to the Lok Sabha elections. I shall not discuss that matter now... The Central Election Commission, whether for state, Parliament, or Assembly elections, let them take whatever decision they want. The state government’s decision is only for the local body elections,” he said.
BJP cries ‘vote theft’
The BJP called the cabinet’s decision an admission of electoral malpractice. State party president B.Y. Vijayendra alleged that the ruling party had effectively “self-certified” that it came to power through “vote theft.”
“Let them win the elections again using ballot paper, or accept that they came to power through vote theft,” Vijayendra said, urging the 136 Congress MLAs elected in the 2023 Assembly polls and the nine Congress MPs from the state to resign.
In a post on X, Vijayendra claimed: “The highest number of illegal voting, complaints of vote theft, incidents of election violence, and complaints about irregularities in the country have been registered in the courts during elections held on ballot papers—and that too against Congress men.”
He also invoked the Emergency years, alleging, “The people of the country have not forgotten that Indira Gandhi imposed the Emergency due to the court’s verdict in the wake of vote theft and election malpractices by her.”
Vijayendra further said the Congress was reviving ballot paper polls to facilitate “booth violence and fraudulent voting,” claiming the party was “insulting technology” at a time when the rest of the world was embracing it.
Karnataka law and parliamentary affairs minister H.K. Patil explained the reasoning behind the move, citing an “erosion of public confidence and credibility in EVMs.”
He said the cabinet had authorised the State Election Commission (SEC) to “prepare, revise and, if necessary, redo” the electoral rolls for local body polls, citing discrepancies and allegations of “vote theft.”
“The state cabinet has resolved to recommend necessary legal amendments and framing of rules to facilitate the conduct of all upcoming local body elections through ballot papers instead of the EVM system,” Patil said.
He added that the SEC would now prepare a revised and corrected voters’ list to ensure a “high-quality electoral roll.”
State election commissioner G.S. Sangreshi welcomed the cabinet decision, saying there was no legal obstacle to the use of ballot papers.
“If the state government brings an enactment legally and guidelines are framed, we will have to implement it. Whether it is justifiable or not has been decided by them. They have considered public opinion and held discussions on the matter. Hence, there will be no hindrance to using ballot papers,” Sangreshi said.
He pointed out that villagers are already familiar with ballot papers since gram panchayat polls are still conducted that way. “Instead of EVMs, ballot papers will be used. Voting through EVMs has been in place at all levels except gram panchayats for the last 20 to 25 years. For gram panchayat elections, ballot papers are still used. Therefore, I feel the use of ballot papers will not pose any setback or cause for concern,” he said.
