Key Points

A delegation of BRS leaders led by the party’s working president, K. T. Rama Rao, made the demand during a meeting with the Election Commission in New Delhi. The BRS expressed its concerns over the continued use of EVMs, citing growing public distrust and international precedents. The BRS submitted a detailed representation to the Election Commission of India (ECI), urging the constitutional body to address critical concerns affecting electoral integrity and a level playing field.

“The BRS Party would like to voice its serious concern about suspicions over the usage of Electronic Voting Machines. Several media reports to this effect have surfaced over the last few years. Many political parties, activists and voters have also expressed their concerns about the usage of EVMs,” the BRS mentioned in its letter.

The BRS party reminded that the world’s oldest democracy, the US, and mature democracies like the UK, Japan, and Germany do not use EVMs for national elections. Quoting the German Constitutional Court's 2009 judgment, the party emphasised the need for ordinary citizens to verify crucial steps of the election process without specialist knowledge.

The BRS urged the ECI to consider reinstating paper ballots, starting with the upcoming Bihar Assembly Elections in November 2025, to restore public confidence in the democratic process.

The BRS delegation met the Election Commission upon the Commission’s invitation for an interaction. Rajya Sabha members K.R. Suresh Reddy, Vaddiraju Ravichandra, former MP B Vinod Kumar, and senior leaders Balka Suman and R.S. Praveen Kumar were part of the delegation.

The BRS voiced serious apprehensions over the untimely and targeted nature of the ongoing SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar. It termed the SIR exercise unwarranted, particularly with elections on the horizon, and cautioned that it could lead to large-scale voter deletions, especially among migrant and disadvantaged communities.

The BRS observed that the disenfranchisement of migrant labour, who move across states for economic survival, is deeply concerning. Documents like Aadhaar and Voter ID must suffice for voter eligibility.

It called for a withdrawal of the current SIR in Bihar, the institution of biannual, scientific, and transparent revision processes, the formation of booth-level all-party committees to verify deletions or modifications, and the prominent public display of voter rolls at regular intervals.

The party warned that hasty revisions driven by unverified media narratives and partisan representations could undermine universal franchise and the legitimacy of the voters' list.

The party once again highlighted the persistent misuse of free symbols that closely resemble its reserved election symbol – the Car. In particular, the party flagged eight free symbols – Camera, Chapati Roller, Dolli, Road Roller, Soap Dish, Television, Sewing Machine, and Ship – which, when displayed in small sizes on EVMs and ballot papers, are indistinguishable from the Car symbol, especially for illiterate and elderly voters.

The BRS party said that in several past elections, including the 2019 Bhongir Lok Sabha election, the confusion caused by these symbols led to an abnormal diversion of votes meant for the BRS, helping rival or independent candidates.

The party demanded the immediate withdrawal of these eight free symbols, permanent safeguards to protect the visual identity of State Recognised Parties, particularly in states where they are dominant players, and institutional parity in the protection offered to National and State parties alike.

The BRS also expressed disappointment over the lack of timely action on its earlier representations during the 2023 Assembly and 2024 Lok Sabha elections. These included abusive and derogatory statements by leaders of rival parties, disparities in the Commission’s response to complaints filed by BRS versus those filed against it, and inaction on Model Code of Conduct violations, including misuse of social media, hate speech, and politicisation of government events.

The party appealed for an urgent re-evaluation of all pending representations and sought assurance of impartial treatment from the ECI.

- IANS