Karnataka Congress Defends Ballot Paper Voting For Local Polls, BJP Calls It 'Worst Move'

Last Updated:September 05, 2025, 18:27 IST

The BJP has strongly opposed the decision. Former Karnataka CM and senior BJP leader Jagadish Shettar criticised the Congress, calling it a step backwards

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and senior BJP leader Jagadish Shettar. (PTI file photos)

A political row has erupted in Karnataka over the state government’s decision to recommend ballot paper voting for the upcoming local body elections. While the Congress-led government has defended the move as legally valid, the BJP has slammed it as the “worst decision."

Defending his government’s decision, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said they are considering a return to ballot paper voting for local body elections.

“There are countries that have taken back (their decision to conduct) their elections on EVM. We are thinking that local elections have to be conducted on ballot paper," Siddaramaiah said.

Backing the CM, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said, “This is the Karnataka government’s decision – why is the BJP worried? The government has the authority to conduct local body elections, it is provided for in the law. Even during their tenure, the same law existed. The law says elections can be held either by ballot paper or EVMs."

Shivakumar added that the move is a political decision made with confidence in the traditional voting system.

“We believe in our ballot system. The Govt has the power to recommend to the State Election Commission. State Election Commission will do it. Even when the amendment was passed by the BJP Govt, they had also written that either EVM or ballot. So, we have chosen to take up ballot. What is wrong in it?" he said.

However, the BJP has strongly opposed the decision. Former Karnataka Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Jagadish Shettar criticised the Congress, calling it a step backwards.

“The ballot paper system is rejected by almost all countries in the world… Now everybody is using the EVM. However, instead of that, to divert people’s attention from their failure and to please Rahul Gandhi, Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar, they took a decision yesterday to implement voting in local body elections using ballot papers," he said.

Shettar also warned that ballot voting has a history of malpractice. “It is the worst decision the Congress government has taken, and it will not be good for the upcoming election. They are definitely going to fail again, and whatever happens, everyone knows what happened when ballot papers were used in the previous election," he added.

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