BENGALURU: The Karnataka cabinet on Thursday decided to recommend to the State Election Commission to revise the voters’ list and hold all upcoming local bodies’ polls in Karnataka, including the five corporations under Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), using ballot papers instead of EVMs.
The Congress government’s decision comes soon after Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi concluded his 16-day ‘Voter Adhikar Yatra’ in poll-bound Bihar. On August 8, Rahul had held a protest against the Centre and ECI in Bengaluru, alleging ‘vote theft’ in Bengaluru Central LS constituency. It is being interpreted as the State government sending out a message to the Central government and pitching the State Election Commission (SEC), an independent agency, against the Election Commission of India (ECI), which insisted that Rahul Gandhi file an affidavit to support his allegations.
“The Cabinet recommends that the State Election Commission prepare the voters’ list and hold local bodies elections, including the GBA, with ballot papers. There is an erosion of confidence and credibility among people towards EVMs. The cabinet has decided to make necessary laws by amending the existing Acts,” Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister HK Patil told the media after the cabinet meeting. He said the amended Acts will be placed before the cabinet in 15 days, and then sent for the governor’s approval.
Patil defended the move, saying it has evolved from people’s opinion, the decline in credibility of EVMs, and complaints of malpractices in the voters’ list, especially the inclusion of non-existent voters.
SEC can take call on preparation of electoral rolls, says Minister Patil
“We should have won 170 seats in the 2023 assembly polls,” HK Patil replied to a query whether the Congress party could have won 136 seats if there were malpractices. Patil said the SEC is an independent body which can take a call on the preparation of electoral rolls.
Interestingly, the government had made a provision in Section 35 of Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) Act, 2024, to give powers to the SEC to prepare electoral rolls for the election of councillors. “If the government does not intend to adopt the Assembly electoral rolls, the SEC may be given the power to prepare electoral rolls for election of councillors under Section 35 of the GBA Act 2024, similar to the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, framed under the Representation of People’s Act, 1950,” State Election Commissioner GS Sangreshi wrote to the government on September 2, a couple of days before the cabinet meeting.
“Neither Article 324 of the Constitution, nor Articles 243K and 243ZA directed State Election Commissions to adopt the Legislative Assembly electoral rolls. Therefore, in the absence of specific provisions under the above articles of the Constitution, or provisions of Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, 2024, relating to the adoption of Assembly electoral rolls, the Government of Karnataka may also consider framing rules relating to Registration of Electoral Rolls by the SEC itself, similar to the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, framed under The Representation of People’s Act, 1950,” he elaborated.