The Election Commission (EC) is being forced to use ballot papers instead of electronic voting machines (EVMs) in upcoming Andhra Pradesh bypolls, thanks to a clever strategy adopted by the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS).

Ballot boxes will be pressed into use during the July 27 by-elections in at least 10 out of 12 assembly constituencies in Telangana region, 11 years after the nation switched to EVMs.

The EC has no other option but to set aside the EVMs and switch over to the ballot papers because the TRS fielded more than 64 dummy candidates-more than an EVM can support-in each of the 11 constituencies it is contesting.

The party is opposing the usage of EVMs because it has reliable information that the Congress will try to manipulate the machines to win the polls. Two other Opposition parties-the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the BJP, too, opposed the EVMs stating they were not foolproof and reliable.

According to EC guidelines, the EVMs can be used only for a maximum number of 64 contestants in each constituency.