In Karnataka, Deputy Chief Minister and Karnataka Congress chief D.K. Shivakumar said the state government might switch local‑body polls to paper ballots instead of electronic voting machines (EVMs). He made the announcement on Saturday during a joint press conference with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
Shivakumar was talking about a high‑profile investigation into voter fraud in Bengaluru. He explained that the Election Commission (EC) asked the state for evidence whenever a complaint was made. “Because we need proof, we are considering paper ballots for the next municipal elections,” he said.
The EC’s investigation found that in the Aland constituency of Karnataka fake applications were filed at 4 a.m. to delete names from the voter list. The power‑backed process was so fast that in 17 minutes 14 votes were taken out. The report says about 6,000 entries were targeted, and the removal was carried out by people from other states using their phone numbers. “We can see that it was not just one constituency – similar meddling was seen in Gandhi Nagar and other areas,” Shivakumar added.
He also highlighted that the EC has not taken any action despite letters from investigation officers and complaints from voters. On February 23, 151 people who had lost their names on the list filed complaints. “They were paid ₹80 for each vote that was deleted,” he said. He noted that the EC is “acting like a BJP agent” and is staying silent.
Other Congress leaders—Rahul Gandhi, AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, and the chief minister—also spoke out at a protest in Freedom Park, Bengaluru, insisting that these irregularities must be cleared up.
Shivakumar said more than 300 MPs have asked the Central Election Commission to act, but no response has come so far. “We are continuing our work to protect the right to vote,” he told reporters.
This push for paper ballots comes ahead of the upcoming Bengaluru civic elections. It shows the growing concern over the integrity of elections in the state, especially after the recent allegations of EVM tampering and voter‑list manipulation that have raised doubts about the fairness of the process.
Source: ianslive
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