'Slap on Congress' face': BJP as Karnataka survey shows 83.61% trust in EVMs for 2024 elections
It also criticised the Siddaramaiah government for announcing local-body elections through ballot papers.
- Jan 2, 2026,
- Updated Jan 2, 2026 10:14 AM IST
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday attacked the Congress after a survey conducted by the Government of Karnataka assessed public trust in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections revealed that 83.61% of respondents said they believed EVMs were trustworthy.
Karnataka's Leader of Opposition R Ashok wrote on, "For years, Rahul Gandhi has travelled the country telling one story: that India’s democracy is ‘in danger’, that EVMs are ‘untrustworthy’, that our institutions cannot be believed. But Karnataka has just told a very different story.”
The saffron party added that the survey revealed that "people trust elections, people trust EVMs, and people trust India's democratic process," calling the findings "a slap on the face of the Congress". It also criticised the Siddaramaiah government for announcing local-body elections through ballot papers.
“Despite this clear public trust, CM Siddaramaiah-led Congress government chooses to take Karnataka backwards, announcing local body elections through ballot papers, reviving a system known for manipulation, delays, and misuse,” it said.
The BJP alleged that Congress questions institutions only when it loses and celebrates the very system when it wins. “This is not principled politics. This is convenient politics. And no amount of manufactured narratives can hide that truth anymore," it added.
Findings from the Karnataka govt's survey on EVMs
The data highlighted broad confidence in the electoral process, with 69.39% agreeing that EVMs provide accurate results, and 14.22% strongly agreeing. Division-wise results revealed notable variations. Kalaburagi exhibited the highest overall trust, with 83.24% agreeing and 11.24% strongly agreeing on EVM reliability. Mysuru followed, where 70.67% agreed, and 17.92% strongly agreed.
In Belagavi, 63.90% of respondents agreed, and 21.43% strongly agreed with the reliability of EVMs. Bengaluru division recorded the lowest level of strong agreement, at 9.28%, but still saw 63.67% agreeing with EVM reliability.
Neutral opinions towards EVMs were most prevalent in Bengaluru, at 15.67%, compared to significantly lower neutral responses in the other three divisions.
The survey forms part of the Evaluation of Endline Survey of KAP (Knowledge, Attitude and Practice) of Citizens, aiming to assess perceptions around electoral technology and practices.
The survey results arrive within the broader Indian context, where EVMs have faced scrutiny from various political parties regarding accuracy and integrity. Karnataka's findings show a comparatively higher level of trust than some previous state surveys, highlighting the region's confidence in the technology.
The survey, commissioned through the Chief Electoral Officer, encompassed 5,100 respondents from 102 Assembly constituencies across Bengaluru, Belagavi, Kalaburagi, and Mysuru divisions.
The survey was officially commissioned by the Congress-led Karnataka government through Chief Electoral Officer V Anbukumar, with data collected shortly after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The methodology covered multiple administrative divisions, ensuring representation from urban and rural constituencies.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday attacked the Congress after a survey conducted by the Government of Karnataka assessed public trust in Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections revealed that 83.61% of respondents said they believed EVMs were trustworthy.
Karnataka's Leader of Opposition R Ashok wrote on, "For years, Rahul Gandhi has travelled the country telling one story: that India’s democracy is ‘in danger’, that EVMs are ‘untrustworthy’, that our institutions cannot be believed. But Karnataka has just told a very different story.”
The saffron party added that the survey revealed that "people trust elections, people trust EVMs, and people trust India's democratic process," calling the findings "a slap on the face of the Congress". It also criticised the Siddaramaiah government for announcing local-body elections through ballot papers.
“Despite this clear public trust, CM Siddaramaiah-led Congress government chooses to take Karnataka backwards, announcing local body elections through ballot papers, reviving a system known for manipulation, delays, and misuse,” it said.
The BJP alleged that Congress questions institutions only when it loses and celebrates the very system when it wins. “This is not principled politics. This is convenient politics. And no amount of manufactured narratives can hide that truth anymore," it added.
Findings from the Karnataka govt's survey on EVMs
The data highlighted broad confidence in the electoral process, with 69.39% agreeing that EVMs provide accurate results, and 14.22% strongly agreeing. Division-wise results revealed notable variations. Kalaburagi exhibited the highest overall trust, with 83.24% agreeing and 11.24% strongly agreeing on EVM reliability. Mysuru followed, where 70.67% agreed, and 17.92% strongly agreed.
In Belagavi, 63.90% of respondents agreed, and 21.43% strongly agreed with the reliability of EVMs. Bengaluru division recorded the lowest level of strong agreement, at 9.28%, but still saw 63.67% agreeing with EVM reliability.
Neutral opinions towards EVMs were most prevalent in Bengaluru, at 15.67%, compared to significantly lower neutral responses in the other three divisions.
The survey forms part of the Evaluation of Endline Survey of KAP (Knowledge, Attitude and Practice) of Citizens, aiming to assess perceptions around electoral technology and practices.
The survey results arrive within the broader Indian context, where EVMs have faced scrutiny from various political parties regarding accuracy and integrity. Karnataka's findings show a comparatively higher level of trust than some previous state surveys, highlighting the region's confidence in the technology.
The survey, commissioned through the Chief Electoral Officer, encompassed 5,100 respondents from 102 Assembly constituencies across Bengaluru, Belagavi, Kalaburagi, and Mysuru divisions.
The survey was officially commissioned by the Congress-led Karnataka government through Chief Electoral Officer V Anbukumar, with data collected shortly after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The methodology covered multiple administrative divisions, ensuring representation from urban and rural constituencies.