Overview

• After a cabinet meeting, Law Minister H. K. Patil said the government has recommended that the State Election Commission conduct all upcoming local-body elections using ballot papers rather than EVMs.
• The cabinet also recommended giving the State Election Commission authority to prepare and revise electoral rolls for local bodies instead of relying on Assembly voter lists.
• Officials said the government will draft amendments to the Gram Swaraj and Panchayat Raj Act, the Karnataka Municipalities Act, and the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act to enable the switch and formalise SEC powers.
• State Election Commissioner G. S. Sangreshi said the SEC is ready to use ballot papers for panchayat and urban local body polls and will revise rolls as required, with GBA corporation elections likely in February and ZP/TP timing dependent on roll revision and reservations.
• BJP leaders condemned the move as an admission of fraud and urged Congress resignations, while Union minister Ramdas Athawale questioned the state’s authority and said permission from the Election Commission may be needed.