The Karnataka state assembly has passed a bill to replace electronic voting machines with paper ballots in local body elections, amidst heated opposition from the opposition parties.
The Karnataka Gram Swaraj and Panchayat Raj (Amendment) Bill, 2026, mandates ballot-based voting for gram panchayat, taluk panchayat, and zilla panchayat elections.
State rural development and panchayati raj minister Priyank Kharge framed the shift as a response to unresolved concerns around electronic voting, citing irregular patterns in polling and counting.
Opposition members accused the government of undermining institutions and reversing technological progress, while supporting Congress MLA Rizwan Arshad argued that paper ballots are widely used internationally.
The bill now awaits the governor's assent to become a law.
