A Karnataka government-commissioned survey ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections shows over 83% of respondents trust Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Conducted across 102 assembly segments with feedback from 5,100 citizens, the findings triggered sharp reactions from the BJP, which targeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for questioning EVM credibility.
EVM Trust High in Karnataka
Bengaluru: A survey conducted by the Congress government in Karnataka for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections has revealed strong public trust in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). According to the survey, over 83 percent of respondents found EVMs reliable. Upon release, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a scathing attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who has long questioned the election process and the reliability of EVMs.
In this study, titled "Lok Sabha Elections 2024 - Evaluation of Indirect Survey of Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Citizens," 83.61 percent of respondents considered EVMs reliable. 69.39 percent said EVMs produce accurate results, while 14.22 percent strongly agreed. The data indicates that a large segment of voters trusts electoral technology.
The survey was conducted in 102 assembly constituencies across Karnataka. It included 5,100 people from the Bengaluru, Belagavi, Kalaburagi, and Mysuru administrative divisions. The survey was conducted by the Karnataka government through Chief Electoral Officer V. Anbukumar.
In the division-wise data, Kalaburagi led the way, with 83.24 percent saying EVMs are trustworthy, with 11.24 percent strongly agreeing. In Mysuru, 70.67 percent expressed trust, while 17.92 percent strongly agreed. In Belagavi, 63.90 percent agreed, and 21.43 percent strongly agreed. In the Bengaluru division, these figures were 63.67 percent and 9.28 percent, respectively.
Reacting to the survey, BJP's Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly, R. Ashoka, said that for years, Rahul Gandhi has been questioning democracy and EVMs, but the people of Karnataka have told a different story. The party says this survey proves that people trust elections, EVMs, and India's democratic process.
The BJP accused the Congress of double standards, saying it questions institutions when it loses and celebrates the same system when it wins. The party termed this "politics of convenience."
