Bengaluru civic body polls likely after May 25, to be held using ballot papers: State EC

Bengaluru: Elections to the five municipal corporations under the newly formed Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) are likely to be held after May 25 and will be conducted using ballot papers, Karnataka State Election Commissioner G S Sangreshi said on Monday.

Addressing reporters in Bengaluru, Sangreshi said the poll schedule would be finalised once the SSLC and PUC examinations conclude. “The elections are tentatively planned after May 25, once the Class 10 and pre-university examinations are over,” he said.

The State Election Commissioner confirmed that ballot papers, and not electronic voting machines (EVMs), will be used for the GBA elections. He added that the upcoming Zilla Panchayat and Taluk Panchayat elections, expected later this year, will also follow the same method.

Defending the decision, Sangreshi said the use of ballot papers is legally sound and well within the powers of the State Election Commission. “Ballot papers have been used since the beginning of the electoral process. While EVMs have been in use for the past two to three decades, there is no legal bar on using ballot papers, nor has the Supreme Court restricted their use,” he said.

The decision comes months after the Congress-led Karnataka government, in September last year, recommended that all future panchayat and urban local body elections in the state be conducted using ballot papers, citing concerns over public confidence in EVMs.

Sangreshi pointed out that several developed countries, including the United States, continue to use ballot papers. “Most local-level elections such as Gram Panchayat and cooperative polls are already held using ballot papers. Only Assembly and Lok Sabha elections use EVMs,” he said, while noting that the last Bengaluru civic elections in 2015 were conducted using EVMs.

Responding to questions about alleged government pressure, Sangreshi asserted the independence of the State Election Commission. “The commission is a constitutional authority. The law allows elections to be conducted either through ballot papers or EVMs, and it is for the commission to decide,” he said.

He also rejected the notion that returning to ballot papers was a step backward. “Using ballot papers does not mean going back in time. They continue to be used in several elections even today and are recognised globally as a reliable practice,” he added.

The remarks come in the backdrop of a recent Supreme Court directive asking the Karnataka government and the State Election Commission to conduct the Bengaluru local body elections by June 30.

The tenure of the previous civic body under the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) ended on September 10, 2020, following which the city has been administered by a government-appointed administrator. In September 2025, Bengaluru was reorganised into five municipal corporations — Central, East, West, North and South — under the Greater Bengaluru Authority, replacing the single BBMP.

(with inputs from agencies)