Sringeri postal ballot recount takes dramatic turn, Congress MLA Rajegowda faces setback
Bengaluru: The high-voltage recount of postal ballots in the Sringeri Assembly constituency has taken a dramatic turn, triggering political tension and allegations from both sides. The recount, conducted as per orders of the Karnataka High Court, has now cast uncertainty over the earlier claims of victory by Congress MLA T D Rajegowda.
Initially, on Saturday evening, it was stated that Rajegowda had emerged victorious in the recount. However, confusion and discrepancies during the counting process led to an overnight political and administrative drama, with proceedings stretching from 7 am till midnight.
By Sunday morning, a major twist emerged. Several ballots that were earlier treated as valid during the original counting on May 13, 2023, were now declared invalid in the recount process. This shift significantly altered the vote tally.
According to officials, around 258 postal ballots were rejected after it was found that both candidates had been marked (‘double tick’) on those ballots. Of these, as many as 255 votes were deducted from Rajegowda’s tally, drastically reducing his earlier count of 569 postal votes. In contrast, BJP candidate D N Jeevaraj saw only two of his 692 postal votes being rejected.
With this sharp variation, Jeevaraj has now expressed confidence that he has secured a majority, though the official declaration from the Election Commission is still awaited.
The developments triggered strong reactions from the Congress camp. Rajegowda reportedly stayed at the Chikkamagaluru Town Police Station till around 4 am, alleging irregularities in the recount process.
Congress leader Sudhir Kumar Muruli has filed a complaint accusing BJP candidate Jeevaraj and the then election officer Vedamurthy of manipulating ballot papers. The party alleged that “double ticks” were deliberately marked on ballots favouring Rajegowda to render them invalid.
Election authorities, however, maintained that the recount was conducted strictly in accordance with the prescribed handbook rules. Officials stated that valid and invalid votes were determined as per guidelines, and a detailed report has been submitted to the Election Commission.
As the controversy deepens, the final outcome now hinges on the Election Commission’s official announcement, with the political stakes in Sringeri rising sharply.
