Karnataka polls: JD(S) endorses CM’s demand for ballot papers, but BJP wants EVMs

coastaldigest.com news network

December 16, 2017

The Janata Dal (Secular) has seconded Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s demand for holding the 2018 Karnataka Assembly polls using ballot papers amidst fears of saffronisation of Electronic Voting Machines.

In last two years many cases of EVM tempering have come to light across the country. In recently held Uttar Pradesh local body polls too several complaints had surfaced about EVMs voting only for BJP. Besides, many political parties have accused BJP of indulgencing in EVM hacking and converting votes of other parties in BJP votes.

JD(S) leaders H D Deve Gowda and H D Kumaraswamy on Friday said that the JD(S) too had on previous occasions demanded that the elections be held using ballot paper. Gowda said that he had written to the Election Commission twice in this regard, in the past.

"There were several apprehensions about EVMs in previous elections, including the Uttar Pradesh polls held earlier this year. The JD(S) has been categorical in this demand," he said.

Raising suspicions over EVMs, Kumaraswamy said that developed nations like the USA were continuing to use ballot papers. The Election Commission should bring back the system in the state, he added.

But, BJP wants EVM in Karnataka

On the other hand the Karnataka state unit of BJP stated that opposing the use of EVMs was equivalent to conceding the defeat even before the announcement of the electoral battle.

In a statement in Bengaluru, BJP’s state spokesperson and former Law minister S Suresh Kumar said that the demand for reintroduction of ballot papers is a proof that the Congress leaders are paranoid about the "impending doom" in the 2018 polls.

"Their worst fear has come true by the outcome of the exit polls which have predicted impressive victory for the BJP in both Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh", Suresh Kumar stated. The Congress party's opposition to EVMs is not only illogical but also amateurish, Kumar stated.

Also Read: Siddaramaiah demands use of ballot papers for state Assembly polls

Comments

Yes this is what all we peace loving patriot INDIANS wants. Without pointing or supporting any political party's

in INDIA we want respect and value for our voting power franchise. At Karnataka all should stand togther and make demand if require mass protest. It will be best foundation for good admiisrtation. Here we not require any politicians TV anchors clarification debate or any one to campare with any other states pole result,

In INDIA election should conducted always by ballot system .

Jai Hind! Jai Karnataka

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Elusive bamboo shrimp resurfaces in Mangaluru estuary after 70 years

News Network

December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A rare bamboo shrimp has been rediscovered on mainland India more than 70 years after it was last reported, confirming for the first time the presence of Atyopsis spinipes in the country. The find was made by researchers from the Centre for Climate Change Studies at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, during surveys in Karnataka and Odisha.

The team — shrimp expert Dr S Prakash, PhD scholar K Kunjulakshmi, and Mangaluru-based researcher Maclean Antony Santos — combined field surveys, ecological assessments and DNA analysis to identify the elusive species. Their findings, published in Zootaxa, resolve decades of taxonomic confusion stemming from a 1951 report that misidentified the species as Atyopsis moluccensis without strong evidence.

The shrimp has now been confirmed at two locations: the Mulki–Pavanje estuary near Mangaluru and the Kuakhai River in Bhubaneswar. Historical specimens from the Andaman Islands, previously labelled as A. moluccensis, were also found to be misidentified and actually belong to A. spinipes.

The rediscovery began after an aquarium hobbyist in Odisha spotted a shrimp in 2022, prompting systematic surveys across Udupi, Karwar and Mangaluru. Four female specimens were collected in Mulki and one in Odisha, all genetically matching.

Researchers warn the species may exist in very small, vulnerable populations as freshwater habitats face increasing pressure from pollution, sand mining and infrastructure development. All verified specimens have been deposited with the Zoological Survey of India for future reference.

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