The State Election Commission (SEC), Punjab, has told the Punjab and Haryana high court that the civic body polls in the state are being conducted through ballot papers as the Election Commission of India(ECI) failed to provide Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) as per schedule finalised by SEC.
The information was submitted during the hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) by one Ruchita Garg, an advocate and Mohali resident, challenging Punjab SEC’s decision to hold the elections of municipal corporations, municipal councils and nagar panchayats on May 26 by ballot paper instead of EVM.
Appearing for the petitioner, senior advocates Chetan Mittal and Amit Jhanji had argued that the action of the state amounted to returning to a bygone era. The election through EVM in the state was introduced by incorporating a similar provision as introduced in the Representation of the People Act, Mittal argued, adding that the Act was subject matter of various challenges made by various petitioners before the high courts and Supreme Court and in all judgments, it had been upheld.
Mittal further pointed out that in the 2025 judgement of Association for Democratic Reforms vs Election Commission of India, the Supreme Court had categorically held that seeking votes by ballot revealed the real intention of the petitioner association to discredit the system of voting through EVMs and thereby to derail the electoral process underway, by creating unnecessary doubts in the minds of electorate.
{{/usCountry}}Mittal further pointed out that in the 2025 judgement of Association for Democratic Reforms vs Election Commission of India, the Supreme Court had categorically held that seeking votes by ballot revealed the real intention of the petitioner association to discredit the system of voting through EVMs and thereby to derail the electoral process underway, by creating unnecessary doubts in the minds of electorate.
{{/usCountry}}He asserted that apex court further said any such effort by the vested group amounted to undermining the achievements and accomplishments of the nation earned through hard work and dedication of sincere work force, and must be nipped in the bud and no constitutional court should allow such an attempt to succeed.
The Supreme Court has highlighted the weaknesses of the ballot paper system, which involves booth capturing, bogus voting, invalid votes and starts various disputes, and further the EVM reduces paper usage and expedites counting process with minimised errors, Mittal said, urging the court that commission should clarify the reasons to discontinue the EVMs and to shift to the old ballot paper system against the judgments of the Supreme Court.
When the court enquired from the SEC counsel, he said they had written letters to the ECI, however, the EVMs were not being made available in the timeframe state required for these polls.