Panaji, Feb 19 (IANS): The Bharatiya Janata Party in Goa will not be able to sweep the upcoming municipal polls because the elections would be conducted via paper ballots and not electronic voting machines (EVMs), former Deputy Chief Minister Vijai Sardesai said on Thursday, taking a swipe at the ruling party.

"How the BJP will sweep the polls if elections are conducted using paper ballots? If you recall, the Maharashtra government took the decision very recently to switch over to paper ballots. Why the people are switching over to paper ballots, you should know," Sardesai said, referring to a recent churning in the Maharashtra government, which is mulling offering an option to the voters to cast their votes using paper ballots.

Sardesai, who was a part of the BJP-led coalition alliance government in Goa when it was headed by the late Manohar Parrikar, also said that the recent elections to the local body polls in Punjab, which the Congress swept amid the farmers' protests, were conducted via paper ballots and not EVMs.

"The elections in Punjab happened via ballots or EVM? When there is no EVM, how can the BJP sweep? It is simple. If they have EVMs, they (BJP) have a chance," Sardesai said.

Dates for the elections to the 13 municipal bodies in Goa are expected to be announced soon.