After Maharashtra civic poll row, Bengaluru municipal elections to return to ballot papers

The last elections to the erstwhile Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), held in August 2015, were conducted using EVMs.

• Bengaluru municipal polls will use ballot papers instead of EVMs this year
• Decision follows Karnataka Cabinet's recommendation and legal consultations
• Supreme Court has set June 30 deadline for completing Bengaluru civic elections

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In a significant decision, the Karnataka State Election Commission (SEC), on Monday, announced that the upcoming Bengaluru municipal elections will be conducted using ballot papers instead of electronic voting machines (EVMs).

State Election Commissioner GS Sangreshi said the decision was taken after consultations with stakeholders and is in accordance with existing legal provisions. "There may be many reasons. Once the State Election Commission takes a stand after consulting all stakeholders, a decision is made," he said.

The move follows a recommendation made by the Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka Cabinet last year to conduct local body elections using ballot papers. The last elections to the erstwhile Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), held in August 2015, were conducted using EVMs.

Defending the decision, Sangreshi said the use of ballot papers is legally valid and not prohibited. He noted that several democracies, including the U.S., continue to hold elections using ballot papers, and added that in India, the mandatory use of EVMs applies only to elections to state Assemblies and Parliament.

The announcement comes amid preparations to hold long-pending civic polls in Bengaluru following directions from the Supreme Court. The top court has asked the Karnataka government and the State Election Commission to complete the election process for Bengaluru’s local bodies by June 30.

The tenure of the elected BBMP council ended on September 10, 2020, after which the civic body has been administered by government-appointed administrators.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justice JK Maheshwari, has fixed timelines for the poll process and directed the State government to publish the final ward-wise reservation list by February 20, making it clear that no further extension would be granted.

The Supreme Court is monitoring compliance with its earlier orders concerning elections to the BBMP and the newly created municipal corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA)