Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Jan 8: The State Election Commission, Karnataka, has clarified that it has not conducted any survey regarding the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in the state.

In a press release issued on the matter, State Election Commission secretary Dr Nagaraj said the commission had taken note of news reports published in some daily newspapers on January 3, which claimed that in a survey conducted by the State Election Commission in May 2025, 83 per cent of people in Karnataka had expressed confidence in EVMs.

He clarified that the State Election Commission has the authority to conduct elections for urban local bodies and rural local bodies, and as reported in certain newspapers, the Commission has not carried out any survey on the usage of EVMs.

It was reported in the media that in a survey conducted by the Election Commission in Karnataka, 85 per cent of respondents had expressed confidence in electronic voting machines. The State Election Commission has now categorically denied conducting any such survey.

Earlier, responding to the survey report, the BJP had said the state-wide survey revealed that 'people trust elections, people trust EVMs, and people trust India’s democratic process’, calling the findings 'a slap on the face of the Congress'.

It may be recalled, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has repeatedly attacked the BJP and the Election Commission of India over the alleged EVM manipulation and 'vote chori' in the elections.