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Bengaluru, 5 Sep 2025
The Karnataka government has decided to use ballot papers for all urban local body elections. This includes the long-pending Bengaluru city council polls. The decision was made by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's cabinet on Thursday.
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Congress Calls it a Bold Step
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The Congress party says this is a bold step to restore democracy. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said they want to do this based on their experience. He pointed out that some countries are going back to ballot papers from electronic voting machines. The Congress believes this will make elections more accurate and clear. They also plan to make a separate voter list for local elections.
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BJP Opposes the Move
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The BJP is not happy with this decision. Karnataka BJP president B.Y. Vijayendra said this shows the Congress stole votes to win in 2023. He asked Congress MLAs and MPs to resign and win again using ballot papers. The BJP thinks ballot papers are easier to cheat with. They say the Congress is doing this because they are afraid of losing. This has started a big fight between the two parties.
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To use ballot papers in local body elections is the decision of the government of Karnataka. Why is the BJP worried about it?
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The State Election Commissioner said there is no big problem in using ballot papers if the government makes some changes to the rules. Follow The Rising News for more verified updates.
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Updated 7 Sep 2025, 13:01 IST; source: link
