BRS pushes for electoral reforms: Scrap EVMs and return to ballot papers, stop SIR in Bihar

New Delhi: A delegation from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) met the Election Commission of India (ECI) in New Delhi on Tuesday.

The team urged the constitutional body to consider reverting to ballot papers instead of EVMs and issued their opposition to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, among other key electoral reforms.

Led by BRS Working President KT Rama Rao (KTR), the delegation submitted a detailed representation highlighting concerns about the use of EVMs, misuse of similar election symbols, discrepancies in electoral rolls and inaction on Model Code of Conduct (MCC) violations.

Call for scrapping EVMs, reverting to paper ballots

Raising serious doubts over the credibility of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), the BRS urged the Election Commission to consider reverting to paper ballots, beginning with the upcoming Bihar elections.

“There is growing public distrust in the EVM system. Countries like the US, UK, Japan, and Germany have moved away from using EVMs in national elections,” the party said, citing a 2009 German Constitutional Court verdict that emphasised transparency and verifiability for ordinary citizens.

Objections to Bihar voter roll revision

The BRS also voiced strong concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls currently underway in Bihar, calling it ‘untimely and discriminatory.’ The party claimed that such a move could result in mass deletion of names, particularly of migrant workers and marginalised groups, just ahead of elections.

The party demanded the immediate withdrawal of the current SIR exercise, introduction of biannual and scientific revision mechanisms, formation of booth-level all-party verification committees, and public display of electoral rolls for greater transparency.

‘Voters being misled by misuse of free symbols’

Another major issue raised was the continued use of eight free election symbols such as Camera, Chapati Roller, Dolli, Road Roller, Soap Dish, Television, Sewing Machine and Ship, which BRS claims are visually similar to its reserved ‘Car’ symbol.

The party stated that in previous elections, especially the 2019 Bhongir Lok Sabha polls, such symbols caused confusion among illiterate and elderly voters, leading to diversion of votes and adversely affecting the party’s performance.

The BRS urged the commission to withdraw these eight symbols and introduce safeguards to prevent misuse of visual identities, especially for dominant State Recognised Parties.

Lack of action on MCC violations

Claiming inaction on its previous complaints, the BRS alleged that the EC did not respond with equal urgency to MCC violations reported during the 2023 Telangana Assembly and 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The complaints involved hate speech, abuse of social media, and misuse of official events for political campaigning.

The party asked the EC to re-examine pending complaints and ensure uniform and fair treatment of all political parties, including State parties.

BRS seeks electoral parity and protection

As a State Recognised Party that has played a pivotal role in Telangana’s formation and governance, we expect the same institutional protection and fairness extended to National Parties,” the representation stated.

The BRS concluded its interaction by reaffirming its faith in the democratic process while urging the ECI to take decisive steps to uphold electoral integrity and ensure a level playing field for all political stakeholders.