State govt. recommends to SEC to revert to use of ballot papers in local body polls in future

Amidst allegations of “vote theft” by the Congress, the State government on Thursday recommended to the State Election Commission (SEC) to revert to using ballot papers instead of EVMs in future elections to local bodies, citing the “erosion of confidence” in EVMs. The Cabinet also recommended revision of voters’ list for such elections.

There has been much anticipation in political circles over the long-delayed elections to the taluk and zilla panchayats, besides the newly formed five city corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority.

The Cabinet’s recommendations comes in the light of the allegations by the Congress of manipulation of voter list across the country, including in Karnataka. Specifically, the allegations have been made in the Bengaluru Central Lok Sabha constituency where its candidate Mansoor Ali Khan lost the polls after leading till almost the end.

“There has been an erosion of credibility and confidence in EVMs in elections. People’s trust in EVMs is declining,” Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil told presspersons in his post-Cabinet briefing. He said suitable amendments would be brought to the laws to make the shift possible.