New Delhi, Feb 6 (NationPress) Union Minister for Food, Public Distribution, and Consumer Affairs Pralhad Joshi criticized the Congress-led Karnataka government on Friday for their choice of ballot papers over Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) during elections, labeling this decision as a step backwards in terms of modernity and technology.

In a statement to reporters in Delhi, Joshi asserted that the Congress-led state government’s preference for ballot papers, even in local body and gram panchayat elections, reflects a resistance to progress.

He denounced this decision, highlighting that while the entire nation is advancing with modern technology and development, it is regrettable that the state government is reverting to outdated practices by opting for paper ballots.

Joshi mentioned that the implementation of EVMs nationwide has been instrumental in curbing electoral fraud. Nevertheless, he alleged that the Congress-led state government is pursuing these regressive measures simply to appease its party leadership.

It is noteworthy that the Karnataka government plans to amend laws to facilitate the use of ballot papers instead of EVMs in the forthcoming local body elections.

Minister for Law H.K. Patil stated, “The government has decided to propose necessary legal amendments and framing of rules to enable the conduct of all upcoming local body elections using ballot papers instead of the EVM system. Previously, data from Assembly elections was utilized. Now, we have resolved to recommend revisions, corrections, and reconstitution of the voters’ list to ensure the State Election Commission can prepare a high-quality electoral roll.”

Patil further pointed out that many residents in Karnataka have recently observed numerous inconsistencies in the voters’ list, with a significant number of complaints lodged. Allegations have surfaced regarding the inclusion of numerous non-existent voters, and discussions have been ongoing for several months.

He noted that public trust in EVMs has been waning. Given the lack of reliability, public sentiment, and opinions, the Cabinet opted to conduct elections via ballot papers instead of EVMs in this context.

The BJP has criticized the Karnataka government for its decision to amend the law to utilize ballot papers instead of EVMs in the upcoming local body elections.

The Karnataka BJP claimed, “By opting to replace EVMs with ballot papers for the upcoming local body elections, the Congress-led government in Karnataka has implicitly acknowledged that it attained power in the state through electoral fraud.”