Bengaluru Civic Polls to Use Ballot Papers After May 25
Bengaluru Civic Polls to Use Ballot Papers After May 25
Bengaluru’s civic polls will reportedly move to ballot papers after May 25, with ward-wise draft rolls published for public scrutiny as talks focus on expanding the city’s municipal limits.
Officials announced that Bengaluru’s civic polls for the Greater Bengaluru Authority will be held after May 25, with ballot papers to be used instead of EVMs. The State Election Commission has published ward-wise draft electoral rolls for all 369 wards on January 19 for public inspection, with the final notification expected on March 16.
The last time Bengaluru elected its civic body was in August 2015, and the election commission says there may be various reasons for preferring ballot papers; it cited Supreme Court observations to defend the move and noted that there is no ban on ballot papers in GBA elections, which have a provision to use them.
Election Commissioner G.S. Sangreshi stated the decision would be taken after consulting stakeholders and that the move is within the law. Minister for IT/BT, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Priyank Kharge, added that the SEC has the prerogative to decide the mode of elections and there is nothing illegal in reverting to ballot papers.
An important context is the scale: the Greater Bengaluru Authority ward count is 369 and the electorate stands at about 88.91 lakh voters. With such numbers, the choice of ballot papers aims to ensure transparency and voter access, though officials emphasize careful planning for logistics and counting.
Separately, there is talk about expanding Bengaluru’s municipal limits to include its outskirts, a topic being discussed in parallel with poll planning. The political leadership has signaled that these discussions could shape how the city governs itself in the coming years.
