Bengaluru civic polls after May 25, to be held using ballot papers

Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) civic elections will be held after May 25 using ballot papers instead of EVMs, announced Karnataka CEC GS Sangreshi. He defended the decision, citing legal provisions. Draft electoral rolls have been published.

The civic body elections for the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) would be held after May 25, using ballot papers instead of EVMs, Karnataka Chief Election Commissioner GS Sangreshi announced on Monday. The last GBA elections were held in 2015, using EVMs.

Ballot Papers for GBA Polls

The State Election Commission stated that the law permits the use of ballot papers. Sangreshi said, "It is not prohibited. We are doing it. Even developed countries like the United States conduct elections using ballot papers. In India, only MP and MLA elections are held using EVMs.""There could be several reasons. Once the State Election Commission takes a stand after consulting all stakeholders, we make a decision," he added. Chief Election Commissioner Sangreshi also cited Supreme Court observations to defend the move, saying that the apex court has stated that there is nothing wrong with conducting elections using ballot papers. He said, "There is a provision to use ballot papers in the GBA elections."

Draft Electoral Rolls Published

The draft electoral rolls for the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) polls were also published today. According to a press release, the State Election Commissioner advised citizens to verify whether their names are included in the draft electoral rolls and, if not found, to immediately submit applications in the prescribed forms to get their names included.All citizens aged 18 years and above should ensure that their names are included in the electoral rolls, stated GS Sangreshi during a joint press conference held today at Meeting Hall-1, GBA Head Office. The ward-wise draft electoral rolls of the five City Corporations under the jurisdiction of the Greater Bengaluru Authority include a total of 88,91,411 voters.

GBA Jurisdiction and Wards

Speaking to the media, he stated that elections will be conducted under the GBA jurisdiction covering five City Corporations, Bengaluru Central, Bengaluru North, Bengaluru South, Bengaluru East, and Bengaluru West, comprising a total of 369 wards.

Electoral Roll by the Numbers

The draft electoral rolls have been prepared with October 1, 2025, as the qualifying date. The rolls include 45,69,193 male voters, 43,20,583 female voters, and 1,635 other voters, totalling 88,91,411 voters, he explained.

Timeline for Claims, Objections, and Final Roll

From January 20 to February 3, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will visit households for verification. During this period, citizens will have the opportunity to submit claims and objections, he said.The disposal of claims and objections will be carried out from February 4 to February 18, and the final electoral rolls will be published on March 16, he added.

Ward Statistics and Polling Station Details

Among all wards, Ward No. 23 of Bengaluru West City Corporation has the highest number of voters with 49,530, while Ward No. 16 of Bengaluru East City Corporation has the lowest number of voters with 10,926. A total of 8,044 polling stations will be set up across the 369 wards, he informed. (ANI)(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)