New Delhi, Jan 19 (IANS) Union Minister for Food and Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi has strongly criticised the Karnataka Congress-led government for insisting on using ballot papers for local body elections, calling it a tragedy and a matter of shame.

He said Karnataka was a pioneer of the EVM revolution, but the Congress-led state government is now acting as an obstacle to progress.

Joshi said the State Election Commission’s decision to conduct local body elections using ballot papers instead of EVMs amounts to a regressive step that undermines decades of electoral progress.

He described the move as a backward step that would derail the gains achieved over the years.

He pointed out that even the recent KAP (Knowledge, Attitude and Practice) survey conducted by a state government department clearly showed that people trust EVMs.

Bengaluru was among the first cities in the country where EVMs were used on an experimental basis in the latter half of the 1980s, and Karnataka formally adopted EVMs in the 1990s.

Returning to outdated practices now is truly unfortunate, he said.

Joshi stated that EVMs with VVPAT have become the backbone of India’s electoral process.

However, he alleged that the Karnataka government is ignoring these facts and opting for ballot papers to suit baseless allegations about elections.

He further said that electoral malpractices at polling booths largely disappeared after the introduction of EVMs.

The recent KAP survey by a Karnataka state department also reaffirmed public confidence in EVMs.

Karnataka’s contribution to India’s EVM revolution has been significant, and VVPAT-enabled EVMs have further strengthened the country’s electoral process, he added.

By ignoring this legacy and deciding to revert to ballot papers merely to please its high command in Delhi, the Congress-led government has acted in a manner that is truly shameful, Joshi alleged.

It may be noted that the Karnataka State Election Commission (SEC) has announced that ballot papers will be used instead of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in the Bengaluru civic polls, and the elections will be held after May 25.

Karnataka State Election Commissioner G.S. Sangreshi made the announcement on Monday at a press conference after releasing the draft voters’ list for elections in the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) limits.

“Civic polls to the five newly formed municipal corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) will be conducted after May 25 and ballot papers will be used for voting instead of the electronic voting machines (EVMs),” he said.

The upcoming elections to the GBA, district panchayats, taluk panchayats and gram panchayats will be conducted using ballot papers, he announced.

Deputy Chief Minister and State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar stated that there is consideration to conduct all local body elections, including the civic polls in Bengaluru, at one go.

“Our government has decided to conduct district and taluk panchayat elections. The Chief Minister and ministers have stated that the reservation-related issues connected to these elections will be resolved. Many have suggested that gram panchayat elections should also be held on party symbols, but no decision has been taken on that yet. There is a consideration to hold all these elections at one go,” Shivakumar stated.

Asked about the use of ballot papers instead of electronic voting machines in these local body elections, he said: “I have also received information in this regard. This is a matter that comes under the State Election Commission. There is nothing wrong in using ballot papers. More important than the mode of election is that voting takes place.”

–IANS

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