Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) elections will be conducted with ballot papers after May 25 this year, six years after the last elected body’s term was completed. The schedule also meets the Supreme Court’s June 30 deadline.
Karnataka Chief Election Commissioner GS Sangreshi made the announcement while releasing the draft electoral rolls on Monday, January 19.
This will be the first election since 2015 in which ballot papers and not Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) will be used. Various officials of the Congress government had stated months ago that ballot papers would be used.
The State Election Commission (SEC) did not specify a reason for the shift, saying only that the law allows the use of ballot papers. “The use of ballot papers is not prohibited and remains a legally valid option. Even developed countries like the United States conduct elections using ballot papers. In India, only MLA and MP elections are conducted using EVMs,” Sangreshi said.
He added that the decision was taken after consultations with stakeholders and pointed to Supreme Court observations permitting ballot paper use in elections.
Rejecting concerns over delays or inefficiency, he said the process would not be a “waste of time” and expressed confidence that the ballot-based exercise would be “100% successful.” He also noted that just as the Election Commission of India takes its own decisions, the State Election Commission is empowered to do the same.
The announcement came as the SEC published the ward-wise draft electoral rolls for all 369 wards under the GBA on January 19. Claims and objections may be filed between January 20 and February 3, and these will be disposed of from February 4 to 18. The final electoral rolls will be released on March 16. Ward-level voter numbers will also be uploaded on the SEC’s official website.
According to the draft rolls, the GBA has 88.91 lakh voters. Bengaluru West City Corporation has the highest number of voters at 27.25 lakh, followed by Bengaluru North (19.54 lakh), Bengaluru South (17.44 lakh), Bengaluru Central (14.25 lakh) and Bengaluru East (10.41 lakh).
Among the 369 wards, Ward No 23 of Bengaluru West has the largest electorate with 49,530 voters, while Ward No 16 of Bengaluru East has the smallest with 10,926.
Ward-wise voter data shows the GBA has 45,69,193 male voters, 43,20,583 female voters and 1,635 voters categorised as ‘others,’ adding up to a total of 88,91,411 electors across the five city corporations.
The SEC said wide publicity is being given to the revision programme and copies of the draft rolls are being shared with political parties. Voters can also search for their names online using their EPIC number or name.
Helplines have been set up for the five city municipal corporations — Bengaluru Central (080-22975803), Bengaluru North (080-22975936), Bengaluru South (9480685704), Bengaluru East (9480685706) and Bengaluru West (9480685703).
As per the Greater Bengaluru Administration (Electoral Registration) Rules, 2025, applications related to inclusion, objection, correction or deletion may be submitted to Electoral Registration Officers, Assistant Electoral Registration Officers or Booth Level Officers in prescribed Forms 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. Applications will be accepted until the last date for filing nominations.
Registered political parties have been asked to appoint Booth Level Agents for each polling station and assist polling officials in ensuring the inclusion of all eligible voters. The SEC urged residents to verify their details in the draft rolls now published and cooperate in preparing an accurate and error-free final electoral roll.
When asked about past electoral roll discrepancies in the Mahadevapura Assembly constituency, an area that saw allegations of voter suppression and large-scale deletions ahead of both the 2018 and 2023 Assembly elections, State Election Commissioner said the SEC was closely monitoring the situation. “We are aware, and I have instructed my officials to look into it thoroughly. If anyone has any allegations or objections regarding the electoral roll, they should file them. We will do the needful,” he said.