BENGALURU, Feb. 6 -- The Karnataka government has approved a major change to the way local elections will be conducted, deciding that upcoming civic and panchayat polls will use paper ballots rather than Electronic Voting Machines, according to the Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs.

The decision, cleared at a State Cabinet meeting led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, applies to elections for the Greater Bengaluru Authority and for rural local bodies, including Zilla Panchayats and Taluk Panchayats. Ministers described the move as an effort to reinforce public trust in the electoral process.

H.K. Patil, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, said the shift followed persistent public concerns about voting technology. "There has b...