D K Suresh criticises ballot paper decision for Bengaluru civic polls

Congress leader D K Suresh opposed ballot papers for Bengaluru civic polls, calling it a step back from EVMs and sparking debate on trust versus progress

Congress leader and former Bangalore Rural MP D K Suresh has criticised the move to conduct upcoming Bengaluru civic elections using ballot papers instead of electronic voting machines (EVMs), describing it as a reversal of progress.

The State Election Commission recently announced that polls to five municipal corporations under the proposed Greater Bengaluru Authority will be held through ballot papers. This decision follows a Karnataka Cabinet resolution passed in September 2025, which favoured ballot papers for local body elections citing public distrust in EVMs.

Suresh, who is the brother of Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, has become the first senior Congress voice to openly question the decision, despite it originating from his party’s government. He argued that ballot papers had already been phased out and returning to them amounts to stepping backward. He further stated that the Congress high command must evaluate whether this reversal is appropriate.

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Addressing concerns about manipulation, Suresh maintained that civic elections are conducted under the supervision of the state government and the State Election Commission, making it difficult for results to be tampered with. His remarks counter the argument that EVMs are vulnerable to manipulation, a concern often raised by critics.

The reintroduction of ballot papers marks a symbolic break from nearly 25 years of EVM use in Bengaluru’s civic polls. The move has sparked debate within political circles, highlighting tensions between the need to restore public trust in electoral processes and the push to maintain technological progress in voting systems.

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