Use ballot papers if VVPATs not available: Shiv Sena (UBT) in Saamana.

The article focuses on the Shiv Sena (UBT)'s criticism of the State Election Commission's (SEC) decision to not use Voter Verified Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs) in the upcoming local and civic body elections in Maharashtra. The Thackeray faction argues that this decision undermines democratic transparency and suggests that if VVPATs cannot be used due to time constraints, traditional ballot papers should be employed instead. They express concerns over alleged manipulation of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in previous elections, particularly citing the BJP's victory in Madhya Pradesh as evidence of potential electoral fraud. Additionally, the editorial highlights the lack of elected bodies in municipal corporations for over three years and accuses the ruling government of delaying elections and manipulating the electoral process. [Extracted from the article]