A survey, recently conducted in Karnataka, has shown that quite a few people are in favor of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) throughout the state. The results, however, come at the time when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi still expresses his doubts about the EVMs and the electoral process. The survey has also attracted the BJP's attention.
Survey Findings on EVMs and Elections
- The KMEA (Karnataka Monitoring and Evaluation Authority) carried out the survey in August last year, which was before the 2024 general elections, and now the report has been published showing that a whopping 83.61 percent of the participants consider EVMs to be reliable. Moreover, a considerable 69.39 percent of the total said that the machines are capable of giving precise results.
- In addition to this, the survey also revealed that the majority of the people, 91.31 percent, think elections in India are conducted without any interference and transparently. The sample size consisted of around 5,100 people who were from 102 assembly constituencies. The survey was done in both rural and urban areas of Bengaluru, Belagavi, Kalaburagi, and Mysuru divisions.
BJP Response
- The Karnataka BJP leader R. Ashok, reacting to the survey, attacked Congress and the state government. He said that Rahul Gandhi had been putting Indian democracy and EVMs' reliability in question over and over again.
- R. Ashok interpreted the survey as reflecting public faith in both EVMs and elections. He, furthermore, denounced the government of Siddaramaiah's plan to use the ballot system for local elections as a move back for the state.
