Thu Sep 04 17:22:16 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary of the text and a news article based on it:

**Summary:**

The State Election Commission (SEC) in Karnataka, India, has announced its readiness to conduct Panchayat and Urban Local Body (ULB) elections using ballot papers, following a recommendation from the State Cabinet. This marks a shift from the previous use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in Zilla Panchayat (ZP)/Taluk Panchayat (TP) and ULB polls. The SEC anticipates holding elections for the five corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) in February 2026, while the ZP/TP elections are contingent on the revision of electoral rolls and the State government finalizing constituency reservations. These ZP/TP elections have been delayed since May 2021 due to delays in delimitation and reservation processes.

**News Article:**

**Karnataka SEC to Revert to Ballot Papers for Local Body Polls**

**Bengaluru, September 4, 2025** – The State Election Commission (SEC) of Karnataka announced today that it is prepared to conduct upcoming Panchayat and Urban Local Body (ULB) elections using ballot papers. This decision follows a recommendation from the State Cabinet, signaling a shift from the use of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in previous Zilla Panchayat (ZP)/Taluk Panchayat (TP) and ULB polls.

“We have been using ballot papers for gram panchayat polls so far. EVMs were used in ZP/TP and urban local body polls. Now we are ready to use ballot papers for both gram panchayat and ZP/TP polls,” stated State Election Commissioner G.S. Sangreshi in an interview with The Hindu.

Mr. Sangreshi indicated that elections for the five corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) are tentatively scheduled for February 2026. However, the timing of ZP/TP elections remains uncertain and is dependent on the completion of electoral roll revisions and the State government’s finalization of constituency reservations. “We will have to see how much time the revision of rolls will take. These elections will be announced after the State government fixes reservations for various constituencies,” he said.

The ZP/TP elections have been significantly delayed, pending since May 2021 due to setbacks in the delimitation of panchayat constituencies and the notification of reservation policies. While the State government completed the delimitation process in December 2023, it has yet to finalize seat reservations, further contributing to the delay. The SEC has affirmed its commitment to conducting free and fair elections once these prerequisites are met.

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