No return to ballot paper: SC

The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a PIL seeking the reintroduction of the physical paper ballot voting system in elections, along with several other electoral reforms.

A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and PB Varale found little weight in the petitioner's argument that even leaders like Chandrababu Naidu and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had questioned Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) tampering. "When Chandrababu Naidu or Mr Reddy lost, they say that EVMs are tampered with; when they win, they don't say anything. We are dismissing this," the court said. The petitioner, Evangelist Dr KA Paul, argued that EVMs could be tampered with and suggested that India should follow the practices of countries like the United States which use physical ballots. He contended that EVMs pose a threat to democracy, alleging that even prominent figures like Elon Musk had voiced concerns over EVM tampering.