Bengaluru: A voters’ survey conducted in Karnataka to assess public confidence in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) has triggered a political back-and-forth, with the state’s IT Minister Priyank Kharge publicly questioning the origins, design, and authority behind the study.
The survey, which covered 5,100 respondents, was carried out by the Karnataka Monitoring and Evaluation Authority, an agency operating under the federally administered Department of Planning and Statistics. Findings from the study indicated that nearly 84% of voters expressed confidence in EVMs during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, and a similar proportion described the polling process as free, fair, and credible.
The response from the Congress party was notably sceptical. Minister Priyank Kharge emphasised that the survey was neither sanctioned nor commissioned by the Karnataka state government. Speaking to the press, he raised concerns about the agency’s affiliations and the involvement of an NGO reportedly connected to an individual who has previously authored a book on the Prime Minister and is said to have close working links to the PM’s Office. He also pointed toward the sample size, remarking that 5,000 respondents across 110+ constituencies may not offer sufficient representational depth to draw such decisive conclusions.
The political debate broadened as leaders from the Congress, including Mallikarjun Kharge and MLA BR Patil, referenced previous allegations of voter roll manipulation in the 2023 Karnataka assembly polls. Patil had earlier written to the Chief Electoral Officer, presenting claims that 6,994 deletion requests targeted marginalised groups traditionally seen as Congress supporters. He also alleged that applications were filed fraudulently to remove 6,994 votes, particularly in the Aland region, which falls within Kalaburagi district.
In October, Karnataka Police sources informed news agency PTI that preliminary investigations suggested a paid operation may have been conducted by a data entry team to remove names from voter lists. Reports indicated that at least six individuals were allegedly involved, and payments of Rs 80 per successfully deleted voter were made, amounting to several lakh rupees. Officials also mentioned that deletion requests for nearly 7,000 voters were submitted before the 2023 state elections.
These investigative inputs prompted strong reactions from Congress leaders. BR Patil and Mallikarjun Kharge both reiterated on X that the findings reinforced their party’s earlier concerns about a targeted, paid voter deletion exercise ahead of the 2023 assembly polls. Mallikarjun Kharge stated that genuine voters were removed through questionable means, impacting electoral representation in the region.
EVM integrity has remained a recurring point of friction in India’s electoral discourse, with opposition parties often raising concerns around transparency, institutional oversight, and voter list revisions. The BJP and Election Commission have both dismissed such claims in the past, labelling them unsubstantiated and politically motivated, while the Congress has maintained its call for closer scrutiny of pre-poll voter verification and roll revision mechanisms.
The survey has now added another layer to the debate, not on the performance of EVMs themselves, but on the mandate, neutrality, and institutional authority behind studies claiming to measure voter trust.
