Shashank Singh Arya

Ballot paper to be used in Punjab ULB, nomination ended on 16 may, Voting on 26 May
BJP wants EVMs to be used in Punjab ULB elections->News>> Punjab BJP President Sunil Jakhar-led delegation met with the State Election Commissioner and demanded that the elections be conducted using EVMs.

**** Why is the Election Commission conducting elections using ballot papers?

Punjab's Chief Electoral Officer, Raj Kamal Chaudhary, has confirmed that the decision to conduct local body elections using ballot papers was taken because a sufficient number of EVMs are currently unavailable. He explained that Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) - the entity responsible for supplying EVMs within the country - was unable to provide the machines to Punjab before May 10. The machines were in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu for the assembly polls.

The election commission stated that had machines been received after that date, a considerable amount of time would have been required to transport them to the districts, train polling staff, and complete technical preparations. This could have potentially led to delays in the election, scheduled on May 26. For this reason, the poll body decided to adopt the ballot paper system.

The Election Commission has prepared a total of 4,200 ballot boxes, including additional reserves, to ensure one box is available for every polling station. The poll body clarified that, according to the Punjab Municipal Elections Rules, 1994, the use of ballot boxes in situations where machines are unavailable is entirely legal.