Overview

• The Congress-led cabinet recommended paper ballots for all upcoming local body elections and said enabling amendments would be introduced within roughly 15 days.
• State Election Commissioner G.S. Sangreshi said the SEC can implement the change without seeking ECI permission and confirmed ballot use for the five Greater Bengaluru Authority municipal corporations.
• The cabinet also moved to let the SEC prepare and revise dedicated voter rolls for local bodies rather than relying on Assembly registers, citing complaints about inaccuracies.
• Congress leaders framed the step as restoring trust following Rahul Gandhi’s detailed ‘vote chori’ allegations in Bengaluru’s Mahadevapura segment, even as the ECI and courts have upheld EVM reliability.
• BJP leaders called the plan regressive and politically driven, warning of malpractice risks, while Union minister Ramdas Athawale argued the state should seek ECI approval, a position the SEC disputes.