Bengaluru, 19 Jan

Elections to the five city corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) will be held after 25 May with ballot papers instead of EVMs, Karnataka State Election Commissioner G S Sangreshi said on Monday.

He also said that the zilla and taluk Panchayat polls, which are expected later this year, will also be held using ballot papers.

"Elections will be held tentatively after 25 May, after SSLC (class 10) and PUC (class 11 and 12) examinations are over, and before 30 June," Sangreshi added.

The Supreme Court had last week asked the Karnataka government and the state election body to hold Bengaluru local body polls by 30 June.

Speaking to reporters here, the Commissioner said, this time the GBA election will beheld using ballot papers.

"There are two best practices to hold elections: ballot papers have been used since the beginning, but in the last 20-30 years, EVMs have been used. Use of ballot papers is not barred by law or by the judgments of the Supreme Court," he said, defending the decision to use ballot papers.

The Congress government in Karnataka in September last year had decided to recommend to the State Election Commission (SEC) to hold all the future panchayat and urban local body polls in the state using ballot paper instead of Electronic Voting Machines, claiming there is erosion of confidence and credibility among the people towards EVMs.

Noting that developed countries like America also use ballot papers, the state's chief election commissioner said that most elections, like Gram Panchayat and Cooperative polls, are held using ballot papers, except Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. "However, last time the Bengaluru corporation polls in 2015 were held using EVMs," he noted.

Responding to a question whether the decision to use ballot papers was under the government's pressure, he said the state election commission is an independent and constitutional body, and as the law provides for elections to be held either using ballot papers or EVMs, the commission has the discretion to decide.

Sangreshi, in response to a question, said, Zilla and Taluk Panchayat polls will also be held using ballot papers.

"Using ballot papers is a choice. The SEC, after considering what is good in the present scenario, after discussion and thinking, felt that the use of ballot papers is appropriate. Most of those voting, since the last 20-30 years ago (in Bengaluru), have not seen ballot papers, as EVMs are being used. Ballot paper is also a best practice, and throughout the world it is appreciated," he said.

"Using ballot papers doesn't mean going back to old age. Ballot papers are still being used in several of our elections, like Gram Panchayat, cooperative and MLC polls," he also said.

Stating that according to him, both ballot papers and EVMs don't have any faults, Sangreshi said, the Supreme Court, which has upheld EVMs, has not said that ballot papers shouldn't be used.

He said, under the GBA Act, there is a specific provision to hold the election using a ballot paper. "When there is an act, why shouldn't we use it?"

The officers are well equipped to complete the process of election within the time, he further said, adding that "I think, there will be no hurdle to conduct the polls using ballot papers."

Responding to a question, the commissioner said that web cameras and CCTV cameras will be installed and adequate security will be ensured using police force to address the concerns of rigging. Also, there will not be any logistical issues. "Everything will be taken care of," he said.

The tenure of the earlier elected body, under the erstwhile Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), expired on 10 September 2020, and since then, a government-appointed administrator has been taking care of its day-to-day affairs.

Bengaluru was divided into five new municipal corporations -- Central, East, West, North, and South-- under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) in September 2025, replacing the single BBMP.

Speaking to reporters after releasing the draft voters' list for GBA along with Sangreshi, R Ramachandran, Special Commissioner of GBA Election, said, a total of 88,91,411 voters are in the ward-wise draft voters' list of five corporations under the GBA, and a total of 369 wards have been formed in the jurisdiction of five corporations.

The draft voter list was prepared keeping 1 October 2025 as the base date, with 45,69,193 males, 43,20,583 female and 1,635 other voters.

Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will visit homes from 20 January to 3 February and people will be allowed to submit claims and objections about the voters' list during this period, he said, adding that disposal of claims and objections will take place from 4 February to 18 February, and the final electoral roll will be published on 16 March.

While ward number 23 of Bengaluru West Municipal Corporation has the highest number of voters at 49,530, ward number 16 of Bengaluru East Municipal Corporation has the lowest number of voters at 10,926. There will be 8,044 polling booths in a total of 369 wards, he further said.